Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-5DMXal: Book 2 - Advent of the Shadow Riders
by Zero Slash One
Summary: After a tumultuous series of events in the alternate dimensions, the gang are stranded on an alternate earth. They really sort-of mind. AU, Series Rewrite, Anime/Manga verse mix.
1. The Next King of Games - Redux

**Firstly, let me just say that I have no actual plot planned out for this story, other than 'Yu-Gi-Oh GX sans Jaden', and revisiting the entire storyline, albeit with changes of varying magnitude, which I suppose constitutes a plot in its own right, but I digress...  
**

**Secondly, in regards to the summary's terminology, this story is an AU, both in the sense that Jaden has (somehow) excised both himself and Yubel from all twelve dimensions of the YGO-verse spacetime continuum, and in the sense that some changes don't naturally flow from that non-event.**

**By the latter, I mean that for the planned majority of this story, Alexis uses the Ice/White Night Deck instead of the Cyber Dancer Deck. Furthermore, Atticus won't be among the Shadow Riders: Who will be in his place is yet to be determined.  
**

* * *

Similar to the visual of Elemental Mirage or Destiny Mirage, the crystalline fragments of the spacetime continuum were pieced back together. Crowler awoke with a sharp gasp to unfamiliar surroundings and faces, and the ringing of his cell-phone, from his back-pocket.

He reached for his pocket and extracted the device. A dainty finger flicked open the gray-slated phone, and he held it to his ear; if memory served, it was Chancellor Sheppard with a chastising reminder, he recalled faintly. "Ah, Chancellor Sheppard," Vellian greeted amiably to his caller.

"Just calling to make sure everything's running smoothly, Crowler," the Chancellor began, sounding, to the Department Chair of Techniques, a bit worried, for a reason that eluded the blond. "Wouldn't want a repeat of what happened last year... when you cut a _third _of our student applicants for some _ridiculous_ reason. What was it? Calling you 'Mister' or Mrs'? Whatever. Just make sure everyone gets a fair shot," he finished.

"Absolutely," Vellian replied matter-of-factly, and hung up; that particular crazed notion of his would indeed be cause for concern, he mused off-handedly. He then rose from his chair, walking off with the parting remark, "Pardon me, gentleman, I'll be right back," for the lavender-attired personnel.

Several of them stared in confusion at him; his occasional eccentricity was a known fact, but this behavior was simply senseless.

"Doctor Crowler, where exactly are you going?" a dark-haired male called out to him; he paused in his tracks, and turned. "The applications are over; the ferry departs soon," he reminded the Department Chair._  
_

Crowler had the good grace to look as though he had fallen to earth from the moon while trying to prevent an alien space lizard from causing an abandoned space station to crash into the planet; perhaps that simile was not quite right, as he was not Shadow the Hedgehog, Duel Academy Island was not the Space Colony ARK, and there was simply no Biolizard anywhere in the equation, so the metaphor was less than entirely apt.

_"Jaden must really have done it," _Vellian thought, but a bit shaken, _"I never thought it possible, but he really must have removed himself and Yubel from time and space... but if so, how can I remember it? This is starting to sound more convoluted than a Doctor Who novel... The Ancestor Cell, my foot..._ Ah yes, I must have dozed off slightly," he explained absently.

The somewhat odd occurrence was quickly brushed off by them, and about an hour later, the ferry to Duel Academy Island was sailing lackadaisically through the quiet waters. Scores of students, attired in Slifer Red or Obelisk Blue or Ra Yellow varyingly, littered both the visible open areas of the ship and the interior.

Nearly all of the first-year Reds and Yellows watched the ever-nearing island, with its immense and foreboding center building, with a wide spectrum of emotions: Some regarded the island with hushed awe, others felt as though they were looking directly at the face of the devil himself, others still didn't sweat it. For a select few, it was extremely familiar territory that they had yet to actually visit.

In one of the ship's many rooms and bedrooms, a meeting _(or perhaps more accurately; a confrontation) _was taking place, between several of the newly-minted first years and a teacher. Syrus' eyes shifted, looking from Chazz to Alexis to Atticus to doctor Crowler. Their expressions were largely the same; slightly confused.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to follow me," Vellian began. Everyone could hear the faint traces of anxiety at the edges of his voice. "The reason is this: Do any of you remember Jaden Yuki?"

Alexis shifted and tensed. Recognition flashed briefly in her eyes, and a literal flood of memories replayed in her mind but only enough for her to get the gist of them; the memories were faded as she mused in an aside that time tended to make them. "Yes, professor Crowler, of course I remember Jaden," the blonde replied, recalling fondly the all quiet moments and dark times over the three years.

Quickly, Crowler received affirmative replies from the other three. "That certainly answers that," the seasoned teacher noted softly, realizing full well how self-evident it sounded. "I had rather hoped that it all had been just a particularly vivid dream, that Jaden and that ghastly Yubel hadn't really conducted that strange ritual, but I suppose that _was _too much to hope for-"

"Jaden?!" Chazz interrupted, audibly and visibly confused. That outburst was sufficient to grant him the attention of the other four. "Way I remember, it was those other people that did..." his voice slowed, and paused entirely, as he tried to decide on a valid phrasing; seriously, he thought with frustration, after everything that had happened over the time he'd known Jaden, this was the hard-to-explain-part. "I dunno, removed Jaden and Yubel from space and time altogether, or some weird crap like that."

The raven-haired male looked around the room, taking note of their perplexed faces.

"That's not what I remember," Syrus put in. All eyes were on him as he spoke. "It was Jaden and you guys," he paused and pointed to Alexis, Chazz and Atticus, "who rewrote history somehow. While Yubel was possessing you, I mean."

"And I remember it being something that those 'Celestials' told Jaden to do; Yubel didn't really have anything to do with it."

_"How did I wind up in that movie... Rashomon, I think?" _Crowler wondered idly. "So, do we all recall it differently?"

"That's not possible," Syrus protested. "It can't have happened in more than one way, right?"

He looked to each of them, almost pleading them to vindicate him. After a few moments of speculation, Chazz spoke, "yes, it could; whatever actually did happen back then at the Abandoned Dorm, Jaden screwed around with time and space, and I _really_ don't think you're getting the whole picture there. Who's saying that it couldn't all have happened, but only in different universes?"

A downcast atmosphere descended into the room; along with that, a clear feeling in Syrus' mind, that whatever had happened back at the Abandoned Dorm was going to be just another of its mysteries.

Atticus folded his arms, looking perplexed at Chazz. "What exactly're you saying? Could ya elaborate?"

"Think it through," Chazz admonished annoyedly to the blond. "Whoever did it,_ something_ cosmic happened and screwed up the spacetime continuum- okay, I need to read more Sci-Fi... Look, the point is: How do we know that _anything_ we remember is actually true?"

The second question made considerably more of an impact in their minds than the first one, and they regarded Chazz with horror. Though they tried, none of them could string together a mental or verbal rebuttal that couldn't be boiled down to feeble denial of reality.

The world around Crowler seemed to fade away, replaced by a note of confusion and sharp disorientation and... what he could only term tentatively as 'time-paradox anxiety', an overwhelming amount of it.

"What're you saying?" Alexis questioned. "Of course everything we know is true; why wouldn't it be?"

"How would we know?" Chazz retorted with audible frustration. "We know that something happened that altered history; how do we know that what we're remembering is what happened _before_ time got rewritten and not after?"

Alexis' eyes widened in shock and disbelief; her brain had almost short-circuited in trying to process that, but it made a sickening kind of sense. The Armed Dragon Duelist laughed bitterly. "Heh, who knows? Maybe it's not just our memories, but our personalities too? Maybe everything about us got fucked up!" he spat angrily.

None of them could really fault him for the profane utterance; indeed, they were rather inclined for a foul-mouthed tirade themselves.

"Or maybe this is bigger than just us?" Chazz continued, as bitterly as before, but now also sounding distinctly in the mood for property-damage. He balled his fists. "How do we know that Yugi Muto even really exists? Or Seto Kaiba, or Joey Wheeler, or Mai Valentine? Koyo Hibiki, Howard X Miller, Mathmatica, Elroy Prescot, Aster Phoenix? How many people could just, poof, appear outta thin air because of this, and nobody being the wiser?

Alexis frowned, "Chazz, you're kinda going overboard with that line of logic; yes, I agree that it makes sense, but you're still going over the top," the blonde looked around the room, hoping for some small agreement.

Syrus shifted and looked down. "I dunno, what Chazz is saying sounds reasonable. Maybe, everything we know has just been created by events like this one; maybe these spacetime-warping things happen all the time, and we're just the only ones to notice. Maybe our entire world was made up just last week..."

"Well, that certainly escalated rapidly," Crowler commented facetiously, though a bit unnerved by the prospect. "I must say, Syrus, you certainly don't lack scope when you speculate; that said, could I ask you to refrain from indulging in... shall we call it _solipsism_?"

Syrus had half a mind to ask what this 'solipsism' thing was, but the other half didn't care much, for much of anything, not anymore anyway.

"And even if we were just created last week like you're suggesting, so what?" Alexis questioned. "We're real and alive, just the same."

Time passed, as quickly as unchecked, for the five after that point, as it was known to do.

Much of that time was simply spent, debating and discussing and exchanging theories about their current situation. The hour and more was spent by them in that room, hanging out together as friends even after the _(possible and suggested) _end of everything.


	2. Welcome to Duel Academy - Redux

In a certain place somewhere in the twelve dimensions, there was assembled a macabre congregation of nine beings, of such complexity that even calling them by their proper names seemed to be underestimating them severely, and that describing their shapes was almost an exercise in futility; nonetheless the attempt would be made, because explaining the unexplainable seemed a less than amusing pastime.

The first of this congregation, the one who had called for the meeting, had elected to manifest in the shape and attire she'd had before her ascension and induction into their loose group: A green-haired young girl, garbed in pink and red. Despite how brightly-lit the hall was, the girl cast no shadow, nor anything that might be considered a shadow.

The second of this congregation had likewise elected to manifest as outwardly human: A green-haired young boy, garbed in white and dark-blue. Unlike his female look-alike, he did cast a shadow; at the same time, he did not. The boy's shadow was curved too softly to be a rectangle yet was angled too sharply to be a circle. The boy was the shadow and the shadow was the boy. The boy's shadow gleamed, hued all the colors of rainbow, colors that bled into one another in ways that would make a mortal observer nauseaous with the gaudiness of it all.

That these two had opted for humanoid forms rather than the more..._ alien_ bodies than their allies was both a source of puzzlement and amusement for those of the others who cared to wonder about that.

"I am certain that you wonder why we called for this gathering," the boy addressed the others. All nine's attentions shifted to him, weighing down on him both metaphorically and literally like a physical force.

The fifth and sixth of them, in particular, wondered about why Leo was using verbal speech when telepathic exchanges would be much faster.

"The fact of the matter is that a few of Earth's people have become aware that we exist," Leo spoke gravely, seeming to expect that particular revelation to be world-shattering, or at the very least shaking. The announcement was met by general disinterest.

The sole reply it merited was a telepathic 'what of it?' from a helix of scarlet and emerald flame. "If this breach of secrecy is truly so distressing to you two, whyever would you not mend it yourselves?"

This time, it was Luna who answered, both verbally and physically: "Because we have a different solution as our intent. Our circle lacks the particular five individuals in question. As such, we would like to suggest them as prospective members of the group."

The sound with both fur and color that was the manifestation of their seventh member ceased entirely. "Are you indicating that you have found some method of broadening the scope of the Ascension process, from one being to five?" its voice inquired, sounding entirely like her former human voice.

"Not as such," Luna revealed somewhat evasively, and after a small pause. "However, we will continue investigating the possibility. With all that said, does anyone else have anything to report?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," their fourth member intoned, and conveyed a mental image to the others.

_In the forefronts of their minds formed a vivid and spectacularly-detailed image of a throne-room. Seated on the thrones were both of the Chaos sorcerers: Dark Magician of Chaos and Dark Magician Girl of Chaos. The royal couple looked-but-did-not-pay-much-attention out at their subjects._

_Genuflecting before his seeming king and queen was a Duel Monster that none recognized; his title was Evil Hero Malicious Edge all the same._

"It seems that in this universe, the Chaos Magic Empire have deployed one of their soldiers to aid the Shadow Riders in their invasion of Duel Academy. That they seek to obtain the Sacred Beast cards for themselves, is not even in question," the primordial manifestion of the numerals one-through-five stated to her associates.

The nine wordlessly took in the presented information.

"Is this one substitution in the Shadow Rider membership the extent of the changes with this universe?" Leo inquired.

"I assume so," the mutated numerals confirmed. "I have not examined these Shadow Riders, and am not planning to, but the substitution of the Evil Hero and Nightshroud seems to be everything that has changed."

"Does anyone have any other inquiries or reports to make?" Leo inquired and looked about the room. He received no reply, save for the howling of the rainbow-colored blue-furred church-bell noise that was their seventh. "All are dismissed, then."

The ninefold abominations of nature rose from the chairs that only two of them had technically sat in. The nine moved through alien and irrational spaces, each to their own destination within the twelve dimensions.

The beings that had perhaps once been Leo and Luna emerged into Earth's dimension, in a random-ass part of the Duel Academy bound ship. Seemingly not the least bit disoriented by the trip, the greenette looked around the room they had arrived in, examining their surroundings both with her body's eyes and her mind's eye.

Her physical eyes shone white. The general vicinity - meaning only the adjacent rooms and halls - of them blurred, and the ship became a mass of transparent muted grey.

Three eyes opened on the back of Luna's head, widening her field of vision considerably. The local area was thinly populated, Luna noted: Less than five humans were nearby. To Luna's mental sight, those appeared as dimly glowing blue figures.

_"Not much,"_ came Luna's lackadaisical reply; included in that 'transmission' of stray thoughts was also some of what Luna perceived. To most outside observers, it would appear that the two preteens were spacing out for no reason at all, but such was far from the case. _"But let us make haste, Leo: We must investigate the Duel Academy of this universe."_

Out of all the passengers aboard the bath, only three possessed the psychic awareness to register the two astral-projecting Celestials; none of the 'pre-universal' quintet were not among these three. Even for the three individuals in question, the two Celestials existed, unfelt and unnoticed to their six senses.

The duo regained a semblance of attention for their current location, and wordlessly walked out of the room; their steps were quick and perfectly mirrored by the other.

Like it was the most normal thing in the world, they walked through a wall, into a hall where a newly-minted Obelisk happened to pass by. Whether he hadn't noticed the green-haired preteens who had just walked out of a wall or genuinely saw nothing strange and comment-worthy in that, would be a riddle for the ages, never to be answered by mortal or immortal man.

The Celestials and the Obelisk traipsed onwards in their own directions, for their own reasons. On their trip across the ship, the pair saw students of all builds and hair-colors and eye-colors, but none could sense their presence in turn.

The immaterial duo halted midway through a ceiling, at the sight of two individuals they identified as Bastion Misawa and Chazz Princeton; the latter of the two held the two ceiling-dwellers' interest, because whereas their mind's eyes had perceived most Duelists as dim blue figures and three of them as burgundy-hued figures, they could see that Chazz appeared also as a dark figure.

_"It seems that it is Chazz Princeton who is the reincarnation of the Supreme King, in the current universe," _Leo - or the Celestial who was outwardly identical to the Signer, at least - conveyed to the girl.

Luna was too preoccupied with ensuring that they remained unseen - undetectably to the two humans underneath them, the very universe warped around Leo and Luna, creating a both physical and metaphysical emptiness where only the ceiling existed, serene and silent and lifeless - to reply immediately.

In the warped region of spacetime that the Celestial had imposed on reality, even Gangi'El, who was a Cosmic Horror by name - which was rather a bold statement to make, given how blandly Lovecraftian it looked - might find existing a wee tad unpleasant: The laws of physics received a treatment that was comparable to, well, meat in a grinder, leaving a senseless void, because eldritch abominations from hideously alien planes of existence tended not to be agreeable to the universe in which humanity existed.

Such was a fact of whatever middle ground there existed between life and death and Duel Monsters and sartorial salad and orange and the internet: What a whimsicality that was to consider.

Wholly oblivious to the fact that they were being watched, Bastion and Chazz stared at each-other. The air was thick with tension, a sort of tension that straddled the distinct sort of tensions that, firstly, accompanied an impending make-out session, and the distinct sort of tension that, secondly, accompanied an impending exchange of hostilities. The distinction between these distinctions was disputable, dude.

"Look, is there a point to this?" the dark-haired male asked to the dark-haired male.

He raised his Duel Disk clad arm. "I challenge you to a Duel," he answered succinctly; brevity was, after all, wit.

Chazz scoffed, then slumped his shoulders, and replied, "Yeah sure, you'll work wonders for brightening my mood: Believe me, you came along at a good time."

The mutual declaration came immediately after: "DUEL!"

The processors of the Disks whirred quietly, as the opening hands were drawn. "I'll go first," Bastion proclaimed, and draw. _"Now, Chazz Princeton, we're finally dueling, like we never could in the Junior Tournaments. I've awaited this day, for months and years! This time, you won't defeat me with your legions of Dragons!"_ I play a monster, the likes of which you've never seen before: Fundamental Force - Gravity!"

In a single cool-handed motion, Bastion placed the monster card on his Duel Disk, and the GPU of the Disk gave a brief-lived hum. On the Duel Field, nothing appeared, and nothing seemed about to. Except, that was, for the standard visual that indicated Attack and Defense Point values. [0/0]

"What gives?" Chazz's eyes scanned furtively the hallway for signs of anything abnormal. "Where's your Gravity card?"

"It's quite simple," Bastion chided. "You see, Gravity is a fundamental force of the universe and exists all around us. It isn't something that has a physical form, at least not one that we humans can see. Does that answer your question, Mister Princeton?"

Chazz smirked, but Bastion wasn't much fazed by that gesture; one might say that he ought to be. "Oh trust me, it does. I know its type: It's all tricks and no battle strength. Why don't I show you just _why_ that alone don't cut it in Duels?"

"You're certainly welcome to try," Bastion rebutted. He slid a pair of cards in his Spell/Trap zones. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

Chazz drew and smirked, then slid a single card into one of his own Spell/Trap zones. "Let's get this over with: I activate Polymerization, combining the Green and Yellow Ojama!"

The tell-tale violet spiral formed, and his two monster spirits appeared in holographic form. They went eagerly to their fates, being quickly swallowed up by the Fusion vortex.

From within emerged one of the trio's combined forms: A creature that possessed Ojama Yellow's eyestalks, sticking out from within its hood. The brown robes it wore obscured everything but the eyestalks from sight. [0/2500]

"Have fun getting over his 2500 Defense Points," Chazz barked - not literally, mind you - to Bastion. "But before I forget, your Gravity's not the only one with a trick up its sleeve: By getting rid of one of my Ojamas," he paused to slide Ojama Black into his graveyard, "I get to add any card I want from my Deck to my hand! Scared yet? This is what you're up against, when you're Dueling The Chazz!"

Bastion was speechless, mainly due to the fact that Chazz now used radically different cards than what he recalled. _"Why on earth would he decide to use the Ojama series? They certainly have powerful support cards, but compared to Light and Darkness Dragon, Burning Dragon or the Armed Dragon Level monsters, they just don't merit being included-" _

Bastion's train of thought was interrupted by Chazz's declaration: "So, give it up for Armed Dragon Level 5!" he held out the declared card forcefully and dramatically, with great gravitas. "And as an added bonus, we both get to draw a card, free of charge; no need to thank me."

In almost perfect synch, Chazz and Bastion drew. Both examined briefly their draws - Pot of Greed for him, Natural Selection for him - and placed the cards in their respective hands.

"Next up: I activate Pot of Greed, netting me another two cards," Chazz explained redundantly.

"I know the effect of Pot of Greed," Bastion admonished, feeling both amused and insulted that Chazz had bothered to explain the actual factual effect of Pot of Greed; _Pot of Greed, _of all things.

"Well, good for you," he retorted sheepishly as he claimed his cards. "Next, I sacrifice my Ojama Sorcerer, to summon Armed Dragon Level 5!"

Ojama Sorcerer's hologram compiled into a cloud of golden pixels. In its place arose the teen form of the red-and-black dragon who had a visible fondness for drilling implements and other sharp tools; it was merely a shame that it was... not the sharpest tool in the shed!. [2400/1700]

"Next, I use my Armed Dragon's special ability: By sending my V-Tiger Jet from my hand to the graveyard, I can destroy a monster with less Attack Points, so your Fundamental Force or whatever gets destroyed."

Bastion blinked, then once again, and a third time for good measure. _"Now he's using a Union monster? First it was the Ojamas, then an Armed Dragon, now a Machine-type? Just what sort of Deck is he using? ... ... Has he really combined all three decks into one? It seems unlikely, but it's the only explanation I can think of-"_

Again, Chazz's announcements interrupted his thought train. "But the fun doesn't end here; I activate Level Up! With this card, my Armed Dragon grows from Level 5 to Level 7! Here it comes, straight from my Deck!""

The teenage dragon became encased in liquid golden light, and cried out, in pain and relief and bloodlust. The glowing faded away, revealing the full-grown dragon, which roared Bastion in the face, then returned to its master's side. [2800/1000]

"Fascinating creature," Bastion complimented, considerably less affected than one might reasonably expect from someone who had just been roared at by a behemoth of a dragon. "But your Dragon won't be around for much longer! I activate Ring of Destruction, subduing the beast and doling out 2800 points of damage to us both."

The Armed Dragon growled at the explosive-lined ring that had decided to become a collar on its neck. Both ring and dragon exploded unceremoniously. [Bastion: 1200] [Chazz: 1200]

"I'll simply put one card face-down," Chazz grumbled, scowling.

Bastion drew, and sighed inwardly._ "I would be a cavalier fool to launch an attack while Mister Princeton has a face-down card waiting, but if I hesitate, he could mount a comeback, and if I make a thoughtless move, I'll lose..._ ... I normal summon my Oxygeddon, in Defense Mode!"

In a dramatic flourish, such as Duelists were common to perform, the card was placed atop his Disk. Holographic trails of green winds and vapors swept around the hall, and at the center of the storm, there was the beast responsible, bowing before the Duelists. [1800/800]

"I end my turn," Bastion declared, sounding reluctant to the girl who was sticking out of the ceiling.

_"So he's stalling," _Chazz noted. _"Suits me just fine; I'll hate to end my first duel of the year with a draw._ I draw!" he proclaimed; his eyes widened incrementally at the sight of the drawn card: Chthonian Soldier. A sensation akin to nostalgia formed on his countenance and in his mind.

_"Heh, I remember this card; or I hope so... my first Duel with Jaden... maybe my memories aren't real, but this card definitely is!_ I summon Chthonian Soldier, in Attack Mode!"

Quickly, the stocky soldier emerged into physical reality, brandishing a silvery blade and plated in metallic armor. This armor did not cover his arms nor a section of his midriff, making it less than practical for combat situations.

"Now, Chthonian Soldier, give that dragon a taste of your steel: Windstorm Slash," Chazz commanded. The infernal warrior quite literally jumped at the windy dragon, carving it in two. As most destroyed monsters did, it exploded into a cloud of smoke for no discernable reason. Pointed observations about the oddities of Duel Monsters aside- actually, no.

Bastion didn't react to the destruction of his monster, but simply took it and slid the card into his Graveyard.

"I'll just call it a turn; give me what passes for your best, Bastion," Chazz commented.

Ignoring the jab at his skills, Bastion conducted his draw. A smirk tugged at his lips at the sight. "I activate Graceful Charity, to bolster my hand! It allows me to draw three cards, and requires me to give up two of them," the male explained and was not slow to fulfill its demand, sliding the three cards together into his graveyard.

"Now, I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, allowing me to destroy any Spell or Trap that is currently in play, and the one I choose is-" Bastion began but was interrupted by Chazz.

"My own Ring of Destruction, which destroys my Chthonian Soldier, taking our remaining Life Points," Chazz completed as the card in question popped up into action. From the image flew the ring that attached itself to the Chtonian Soldier's neck.

The ring and the monster exploded together, bringing the Duel to its conclusion with an audible beep. [Chazz: 0] [Bastion: 0]

"A draw," Chazz scoffed, somewhere between amused and annoyed. "We'll need a rematch later, Bastion," he said and turned, walking away.

He had yet to leave the hallways, before Bastion addressed him, "by the way, Mister Princeton, if you don't mind my asking: During this duel, you consistently addressed me by my first name, as if you somehow knew me. Could you explain that?"

Chazz mulled it over, without turning to face Bastion. After a few seconds, he left a 'no reason, I guess. See ya around' as a parting remark for Bastion.

_"Does he remember me from the Junior Tournaments?" _Bastion wondered briefly, before writing it off as a daily oddity.

Just then, the speaker system blared through every nook and cranny of the ferry, dispelling totally the ambient noise, and a husky contralto spoke: "Attention all students, we'll be arriving at Duel Academy within a few minutes."

A few minutes later, the students had disembarked from the ship. For most of them, the sensation of being present at the illustrious school was one of awe, one that was born of multiple factors.

One of these was the truly immense building that loomed over them; for some, the thought of attending the classes there weighed down like a physical force. One of these factors was that there was an active volcano, almost threatening to erupt at any moment.

More than a few student wondered whether they would have to Duel within the crater, and fretted falling into the lava; these particular students were _'calmed'_ by being informed that the mere process of convection would reduce them to smoldering corpses without even being close to the lava. What did genuinely manage to assuage them was Professor Hibiki's assurance that they wouldn't even approach the volcano.

For a select few, the first impression differed in that it wasn't really the first. For Syrus in particular, being at Duel Academy Island was accompanied with a pleasant kind of unease.

_"Well, Duel Academy,"_ the bespectacled Duelist thought to himself as he walked in a drove with the other new students towards the main building. _"Here we go again."_

* * *

**Well, good spot to stop for now.**

_**Ojama Sorcerer |**_**_ 5/LIGHT/Beast/Effect/Fusion | 0/2500  
_****_Once per turn, you can discard 1 "Ojama" card from your hand (this can include "Ojamuscle"): Select 1 card in your Deck and add it to your hand. Afterwards, both players draw 1 card._**


	3. Making the Grade - Redux

**I can't for the life of me figure out what to put in Author's notes... that being said, I'll be immensely grateful if anyone bothering to read this would leave a review. ****Pardon me for saying so, but iloveyugiohgx93 isn't exactly known for handing out constructive criticism for a regular basis.**

* * *

Sometime, the next day, the 'pre-universal quintet' were assembled in Crowler's office, an occurrence that the effeminate teacher noted to start to become a habit.

"The gang's all here, Syrus," Chazz grumbled to the short-statured teen from his corner of the room, "so why don't you hurry up and spill the beans?"

"Well..." Syrus began, but paused to glance around the room. Collectively, the other four were staring at him with undisguised curiousity. "Basically, I wanted to talk about something we didn't yesterday: How're we going to deal with the Shadow Riders this time around?"

Crowler raised an eye-brow, "could you elaborate a bit?"

"Well, I mean, when, or if, I guess, Chancellor Sheppard gives us the Spirit Keys, should we just expose professor Banner as a Shadow Rider right away? We could save ourselves some trouble if we did."

With the question, a dense silence descended over the office. Crowler leaned back in his chair, with a contemplative countenance. Finally, he replied, "it is certainly not a bad idea; however, I've read sufficient sci-fi to know that actually exploiting foreknowledge has the darndest tendency to alter the course of the future-"

"It didn't for Sartorius," Chazz interjected. He, as well as the other four, remained wholly oblivious to the fact that the two Celestials were watching them from within the wall behind Vellian, studying every motion and every act the five carried out, monitoring them every moment of the day. In essence, they were being stalked by Lovecraftian horrors from the tenebrous underside of the universe; a disheartening thought in every sense conceivable.

Just then, there was a sharp tap on the door, breaking the concentration of both human and non-human alike.

"You may enter," Crowler calmly called out to his visitor. The door opened softly. In the doorway, the seven saw a dark-haired bespectacled male, garbed in the Obelisk Blue uniform.

The man surveyed the room briefly, mildly surprised at the sight of a Slifer among the Obelisks.

"Ah, Mister Ryuga," Crowler greeted. His hand reached for one of the drawers, and opened it to take out a few choice documents. "I presume that you're here for your fiftieth Duel? If I might be permitted to veer off on a tangent, I would like to compliment you on your astounding prowess."

The aspiring-to-be-a-teacher replied with a courteous bow, "I thank you humbly, Doctor Crowler, but might I be permitted to ask why there is a Slifer along with three Obelisks occupying space in your office?"

Ryuga noted a faint twinge on the faces of Mister Princeton, Mister Rhodes and Doctor Crowler; it was sufficient to arouse his curiousity.

"We simply had some personal business to discuss," Crowler replied dismissively. "I believe that my students and I would prefer being discrete about the matter."

Ryuga was not entirely convinced; what sort of 'personal business' could there be between Doctor Crowler, Princeton, Truesdale, Rhodes and Rhodes?

"But regardless, there was the matter of your fifthieth Duel to attend to, correct?" Crowler reminded. Ryuga recognized a diversion when he saw it, but decided to not call it to attention. "As it happens, we have the perfect student for you to face," he paused. "Alexis, Chazz, Atticus, Syrus," he called their names in turn. "Would one of you care to face Mister Ryuga?"

The foursome glanced briefly at one another, several times over, like they were wordlessly debating who would be Dueling; with faint nervousness, they fidgeted to varying degrees. Moments passed, filled with deafening ambient noise.

A brief while later, the Duel had commenced. Snow Fairy raised its ice-coated hand, and in front of Ryuga, four large holographic cards appeared, ghost-like. The second card from the left turned around, revealing it to be Ultra Evolution Pill. As per the effect of Icicle Cannon, the Spell was assigned Attack and Defense Points. [0/0]

From Snow Fairy's hand, several shards of ice shot forth, skewering the Spell. Its hologram dissolved, and Ryuga slid the card into his Graveyard.

_"Remarkable," _Ryuga considered briefly. _"Not only does Icicle Cannon strengthen her monster, but it also bolsters its offensive capabilities, and with Snow Fairy's own ability to restrict my usage of Spells, this two-card combo is almost untouchable... just what I would expect from an Obelisk Blue student."_

The spectators' enjoyment of the Duel was halted when they heard blunt footsteps come from behind them. Crowler and the other three spun to see a woman march towards them. Behind her, Vellian noted about a dozen or so students. Briefly, he looked her over: She could easily be described as beauteous, and was garbed in the Slifer Red uniform. To an outside observer, it would be reasonable to assume that the woman was Chazz's older sister; the Department Chair noted a distinct resemblance.

"Halt this Duel immediately!" the raven-haired woman demanded, audibly and visibly infuriated for reasons that eluded Vellian. Her voice echoed through the entirety of the hall. In the Duel Arena, the man whose first name would be a mystery to never be answered cursed under his breath.

"What in blazes is going on, Miss?" Crowler addressed her. The woman faced him, visibly displeased.

"Crowler, we have been provided irrefutable proof that Ryuga's been stealing cards from those forty-nine he defeated," Midori informed Vellian.

The doctorate-holder was shocked, to say the least, as were the others. "Is this true?" the male teacher inquired, shaken, to the Slifers and Ras that had served as Midori's entourage.

"He stole my Blizzard Dragons," a green-haired female Slifer began. "I've had them for months!"

"And mah Elemental HERO Landstorm; Claymans and Avians, ta boot," a red-head male Ra added, his voice marked by a clear accent that Crowler couldn't quite place.

"My Sorcerer of Illusions," a maroon-haired male Slifer continued the listing of thefts, which had apparently become a thing. "And also my Spellbinding Illusion."

The victims continued to list what Ryuga had stolen, and the situation became increasingly clear to the male member of the school faculty. The duel was quickly called off, and a few days passed._  
_

Ryuga's ultimate fate quickly became a mystery; officially, he was quietly returned home, but the rumor mill would not be deterred by some insignificancies as proven fact and objective statement.

Some of the robbed Ras were of the belief that Ryuga had been sent off the island on a skiff, without food or drink, to die at sea. These were, evidently, the ones who were the most sore about having their valued cards stolen in the first place.

Some of the robbed Slifers believed that Ryuga had been subjected to an island-wide chase, and had sought refuge in the abandoned dorm, where he'd had his soul devoured by the mythical Shadow Realm. Those who subscribed to this theory were, evidently, also annoyed about his actions.

A few mixed Slifers and Ras subscribed to the theory that he had been fed, mind and body and soul, to the super-ancient terrible beast that roamed the academy as it pleased, and filled the hearts of men with dread and despair, the beast that was only known as Pharaoh. These eight students were considered crack-pots, due to how docile the feline generally was.

About one or two uneventful weeks of classes later, Ryuga was all but forgotten, even by the small fraction of the student body who he'd personally wronged. Life went on; such was self-evident.

* * *

"Alright, class, let's continue," Midori's voice carried clearly through the class-room. "Who can list five top-level Spellcasters, 'top-level' defined as above Level seven, _other_ than one of the Dark Magicians?" she emphasized the last bit.

Across the rows of desks, the query elicited a low-key buzz of activity: Midori noted the physical rise of a few students, one Slifer, two Ras and an Obelisk. "Yes, Mister Vandom?" she inquired of the blond Slifer.

"Cosmo Queen, Endymion the Master Magician, Nature Sorceress, Envoy of the Light, &amp; Illusion Archmage," the second year listed calmly; his voice oozed such smugness that it almost threatened to coalesce into a pyramid-shaped wooden mass of smugness, which would then be subject to gravity, fall to the ground and splinter into dozens of fragments of manifest cockiness.

He ignored the glares and stares he received from his classmates.

"Thank you, Mister Vandom," the raven-haired woman nodded politely. The classroom fell silent, and the risen students seated themselves. "Now, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Spellcasters are perhaps the monster-type that boasts the greatest amount of versatility amongst them all: There are Spellcasters and Spellcaster-related cards for virtually any purpose. Now, could I ask three of you to come down and complete a Test Duel?"

Jasmine rose from her seat, as did nobody else. A scant moment later, a couple of other students were given incentive to join in, due in large part to a stern look from Midori. The three students walked together towards the Duel Puzzle room. One was Jasmine, one was Syrus and one was a random-ass Obelisk Blue named Jake.

"The Test will be set to Level 2 Grade 3," Midori informed them matter-of-factly, and fiddled with the system to make it so. The students continued, entering the Test Duel room, of featureless ebon and dim light.

Behind them, the door closed audibly. The classroom screen flickered to life, depicting the insides of the exam room. Before the three of them, the Test Duel's field materialized.

Its only on-field card was the Chaos Command Magician - [2400/1900] - but the mage was backed by five large cards, each designed as the backing of a card. Its Life Points were likewise presented for their benefit. [SYSTEM: 12000]

With imperfect synchrony, the three of them drew five cards each. [Jasmine/Syrus/Jake: 4000]

"Don't slow us down, Slifer," Jake grumbled to the red-garbed student. Syrus ignored the comment. "Seriously; don't clog up our field, don't waste our Life Points, don't make thoughtless moves."

Syrus glared at him. "Just worry about yourself; I'll be fine."

"Heh," Jake scoffed. "We'll see soon enough,", he shot back. Then he inspected his hand. "Let's kick this off: I activate Polymerization, and with that, I can fuse my two Elemental HEROes, Burstinatrix and Wildheart, letting me summon Elemental HERO Wild Bonfirer!"

As the three cards were placed into and then onto the blond's Disk, the fusion spiral materialized the dark-hued room. Syrus watched in disbelief as the two HEROes were swallowed up by the swirling energy.

They emerged onto the field as a single fighter: The monster had Wildheart's skintone and musculature. He was shirtless and Burstinatrix's attire had been changed to serve as a pair of bright-red skintight pants that accentuated his shapely buttocks. On his chest were flamelike markings, hued a subdued red. [1900/2300]

"He uses Elemental HEROes too?" Syrus questioned, unable to stop himself from phrasing it aloud. "And here I thought that Jaden was the only one..."_  
_

Being as Jake was within the same room, he was naturally within earshot. "Heh, you can tell this Jaden-fella, whoever he is, that he doesn't have the exclusive rights to the Elemental HERO Deck."

Syrus didn't reply, instead turning his attention back to the Duel.

"Now for my next trick," Jake paused to slide a card into his Disk. Wild Bonfirer barely seemed to react as his arm began to become transmogrified by the Spell. Throbbing veins formed on the fused HERO's forearm; the flesh gained a ruddy hue. The sickness spred down his arm, but still the HERO did not react to it. Soon, there was a bulbous lump of veiny flesh where his hand had been, with only the blade of an axe to serve as an appendage of any sort. [2900/2300]

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, my Axe of Despair card," he announced melodramatically. "And it doesn't stop there: See, while Wild Bonfirer's on the field, the opponent takes 600 points of damage for each of their cards that goes to the Graveyard, like the computer's Chaos Command."

Syrus and Jasmine both shot Jake a quizzical look, as did most of the students outside of the room. Jake beamed back at the two. "Nope," Syrus denied. "Not falling for it."

"Whatever, shortstuff," Jake smirked. "Wild Bonfirer, take out that Magician with... Wildfire Hurricane!"

On command, the Elemental HERO swung his bladed arm forcefully. The gesture cast streaks and slivers of flame into Chaos Command's general direction. Consumed by the raging conflagration, the Chaos Command Magician exploded into a cloud of smoke, rather than, you know, getting burnt alive as logic dictated he ought to. [SYSTEM: 11500]

The HERO was about to let loose another burst of flame, before realizing that there wasn't a target for him to strike, and sheepishly shrugged his burly shoulders in defeat, to his invoker.

The system received the damage regardless, as the tell-tale noise made evident. The soft golden Life Point meter appeared briefly. [SYSTEM: 10900]

The cloud died down, all but forgotten. Jake proclaimed faux-coolly the end of his turn. On the far of the room, above the five cards of the system's hand, there appeared now the expected three additional cards.

Two of the cards flipped around of their own volition, revealing them both to be Double Summon. The jet-Black floor shone a vivid gold as Breaker the Magical Warrior appeared on the field, his posture firm and battleready. [1600/1000]

Unceremoniously, the mage-knight lowered his blade. Briefly, blue electricity crackled around it, and a bolt of lightning shot forth. Its path was not a direct one; quite the contrary, the supernatural current branched out among several paths, including one that was actually conducive to its objective.

Along with the classroom, another individual watched the unfolding duel with a vested interest, in large part due to Syrus' participation but not at all due to Jasmine's or Jake's. This individual was Leo, and as for his current vantage point, well, there weren't quite words for it other than 'puzzling': In the simplest possible terms, the so-called 'Celestial' was occupying the 'space' inside of Midori Hibiki's name. It was not a metaphor for anything, but literally where he physically was to be found.

It made virtually no sense in any sense, but such was the nature of a rugose, eldritch, anachronistic, insert-a-dozen-suitable-adjectives-here Lovecraftian monstrosity, even one that tucked itself safely inside a human body.

From his nebulously-established hideout, the entity extended thoughts to his other bodies.

One of these bodies were with Professor Banner and dozens of students in Duel Monsters History class. One of these bodies were with Atticus Rhodes and various others in Dragons class. One of these bodies were in the bleedin' loo with Chazz Princeton. Where Luna was during these events was seemingly not to be answered.

Leo gazed through his multiple pairs of eyes, within a few names, across the classrooms and bleedin' loo. _"How best to go about it?"_ the Lovecraftian pseudo-human reflected to himself. His thought processes were not wholly alien and incomprehensible to humanity - indeed, the statement had failed to include the image of a frog - so evidently he was doing a shoddy job of being a Lovecraftian horror.

Oblivious to the weird-ass narration, even though he should be, Leo continued to ponder. _"If I were to impose a mental command upon the humans, they would most likely notice a discrepancy on their time-measuring devices, which could alert the five to my presence... what to do, what to do..."_

What Leo had forgotten however, was to adjust his own mental processing speed to one that would be beneficial to him: Whereas a human being would scarcely need seconds to complete those thoughts, he had in fact spent over an hour doing so.

Suddenly, he realized the issue and corrected it: The world outside of Midori's name began to move, or at least, it didn't stand perfectly still. He was treated to a leisurely stroll through the academy, shackled to Midori through tethers of pure idea.

Quickly, he noted his other bodies' new locations: One was with Banner's name, one was with Atticus' name, one was in Midori's name, one was still in the bleedin' loo. The first location was not at all of use, he decided, but the last location might serve to amuse.

Across the academy, in a few locations which outwardly held no significance, identical instances of weird-ass crap now occurred, instigated by Leo's power.

In Doctor Crowler's office, the wall which wasn't designed or intended in any way whatsoever to open up, opened up to reveal a stairway. Just as Led Zeppelin had once sung of a stairway that led to God, this was a stairway that led to God knows where.

As had already been stated unambiguously, the same things occurred in the sleeping quarters of Syrus, somewhere in the Slifer Red dormitory, Alexis, Atticus and Chazz, somewheres in the Obelisk Blue dormitory, and, quite self-evidently, in the bleedin' loo, somewhere in the main building.

Guided by forces that were as powerful as they were subdued, the five put whatever matters were currently occupying them in order, grabbed their Decks, and walked into the staircase. It did not matter how long they walked the stairway; in this particular section of space, the entrance was the exit and the exit was the entrance and there was no escape.

Then, suddenly, after a span of time that could equally have been minutes or months, a blinding green light erupted from right out of nowhere. The quintet did not react in any way to it, but they nonetheless awoke to unfamiliar surroundings.

More than almost improbably gasping in unison, the first thing they saw was a boy with turquoise hair and dressed lightly in white garments.

As Alexis and Crowler both surveyed their environs - a table and seats, in the desert world that they both recalled that Yubel had transported them to - The Chazz had raised himself from his seat, and was glaring at the boy. "Okay, kid, you better start talking: Who are you and what's going on here?!"

The other four likewise turned to the boy. As far as they could tell, he did not react to The Chazz's outburst nor to anything else. In fact, Crowler noted that the child was just sitting deathly still: No fidgeting, no blinking, no signs of life of any kind. _"My, I'd never imagined I would see anyone who deliberately was going for the Uncanny Valley effect..."_

Moments passed before The Chazz received a reply. "Allow me to be direct: Among other reasons, I and my associates hold a vested interest in the five of you and your personal Decks; as such, I would like to make a contribution."

From... Crowler blinked in surprise as several stacks of cards seemingly came out of the boy's shirt, floating for no apparent reason - he inferred that the boy was somehow telekinetic; he'd heard rumors of people with psychic powers - towards them. The stacks were lowered, slowly and measuredly, down in front of the humans.

The blonde went briefly through the cards, halting at an unfamiliar one. "Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier?" she asked, eyeing the boy. _"_Look, I appreciate the gift, but I'm not ever going ever to use one of those made-up cards that's a-dime-a-dozen online," she declared, and handed him back the offending-to-her-sensibilities Synchro.

Immediately after, Chazz did the same, only with a pair of cards that Leo noted as Dark End Dragon and Light End Dragon. In turn, Alexis did the same with what he saw was Brionac, Gungnir and Frozen Fitzgerald.

"I would advise you all to keep the Synchro monsters," Leo eyed the five neutrally, somehow managing to eye five individuals with only two eyeballs. "I can personally assure you of their legitimacy."

Alexis and Chazz simply continued to hold the cards in question.

"And that's really good and all," Chazz riposted. "But we're still not interested in your pathetic fakes. The Chazz only Duels with _real _cards, from Industrial Illusions."

Leo's expression remained unwaveringly unemotive. Evidently, he mused, they would need some... gentle persuasion to agree to this. "Allow me to rephrase my statement: You _will _be including the cards I have just given you in your Decks, and I will deign to answer a single question from each of you. Will you accept this bargain?"

Shock flickered abrubtly across their faces at the realization of _what_ exactly this kid was: Mutually contradictory through their memories of before the current universe were, they all recalled him and his race being present when it happened.

"You're a Celestial," Syrus murmured. In the distance, a gust of wind caused a cloud of dust to kick up, but it went unnoticed by the six.

Leo's countenance remained dispassionately. "Yes, I believe that you named our race thus. That aside, will you accept my offer or not?"

Syrus glanced briefly at the stack; he knew it contained many powerful cards, but they were more likely than not fakes, the kind that Alexis had said were a-dime-a-dozen on the Internet. "I'll keep these for now," the bluenet finally uttered, ignoring the looks he received for it. "But if I find out that these aren't really in the Duel Monsters card pool, you're getting them right back."

Alexis' reply was quite different: "No; I don't know why you're so keen on us having these cards, but nobody but me decides what goes into my Deck, and these fake cards aren't going anywhere near-"

Leo interjected offhandedly, "Alexis Rhodes, I will simply say that I have methods of making you... shall we say, more _flexible_ on this subject, so you might prefer accepting them voluntarily. That applies to your friends as well."

"Oh, so now you're making us an 'offer we can't refuse'?" the blonde eyed the boy darkly, visibly tensing. "Let me spell it out for you: Don't try to change my mind, don't try to change my Deck."

Leo sighed in a distinctly amused manner. Alexis was less than amused, not that any of them were happy with him attempting to screw around with their Decks. "'Change' you, Alexis Rhodes? Is that what you believe of us? That we are the Changers, presenting you with the sole options of Change or Die?"

That question was accompanied by a telepathic emission, infusing their minds with newfound serenity; in other words, they were put on a heavy dose of psychic sedative, administered by a crazy person.

"But I believe that we should approach this matter from a different angle," Leo continued as though nothing was the matter.

For what seemed like the first time in Crowler's eyes, the boy moved, extending his left arm. In the air between where he sat and where they sat, specks of blue fire and azure light erupted; unfelt to the five, normal spacetime was chased away by the manifestation. These swirled unpredictably around, and within, there seemed to form an image.

Within, they saw a number of people. One was a dark-haired male in a blue leather-jacket. One was a tall blond in a faded-white attire. One was a burgundy-haired woman in an ornate red dress. Two of them were kids, about ten or twelve, and siblings by the looks of it; the boy of that pair was the same one who was showing them this image, they saw.

Above all five of them, the seated five saw further, several rings of light. From within each tunnel of rings, beams of light, of varying colors, shot out, as did dragonic creatures of varying shapes.

Leo waved his hand, and the image became too faded to make out any its details. Less than a second later, even the last vestiges of it had faded into nothingness. "This is the future of your world; a time where Synchro monsters are in common use. I have deigned to grant you five access to Dueling techniques that would normally take several years to become available. At virtually no cost, I might add."

"Take a hint!" Alexis snapped. "Whether the cards are fake or real, I don't _want _what you're trying to push on us."

Leo performed a generic facepalm gesture, then opened one eye with such force that it verged on physical. "Humans, as amusing as I find your obstinacy-"

Alexis cut him off, "yeah, we kinda get annoyed when _other _people mess with _our _Decks."_  
_

"-I believe that I ought to phrase our intentions for you in a different manner: You will be keeping the cards I have given to you, and in exchange, I will answer each of you any single question you might have about this matter. Is that compromise palatable to you?"

The preuniversal quintet glanced at one another wordlessly, exchanging a look whose sentiment carried imperfectly, but well enough.

"Very well, I will accept your little compromise, but I can't speak for my students," Vellian spoke, with as much authority and dignity and bluster as he could manage; it was more than one would expect, given that he was currently on sufficient telepathic sedative to put down a Blue Eyes Shining Dragon. It was really a d'ast miracle that he was still coherent. "Now, what has driven you to this madness; do you somehow think that we appreciate being dragged around like puppets on a string? Do ascribe us _s__ome _dignity."

Leo gave no reaction. "Very well. One of the reasons for this is that within the five of you now dwells a shared power; due to this factor, we arrived at the conclusion that your personal Decks gaining the capacity to Synchro Summon would be conducive to your growth once this power surfaced."

Alexis had the good grace to look puzzled. So did Atticus and Chazz, for that matter. Crowler was rather more intrigued that someone could be both so vague and so precise in their speech. Syrus eyed the turquoise-haired boy with suspicion; just what 'power' was that? It seemed that every answer they got only created more questions.

Leo gave them a mild pause to let the statement sink in. To his irritation, the desert sunlight shone directly into his eyes.

Before anyone else, Alexis spoke: "So, what you're saying is... that you're trying to force us to use these 'Synchro' monsters to help us?"

"Precisely," Leo replied faux-eloquently. "And merely to elaborate, I am not _asking _you to actually use them for every Duel; when you elect to summon them is entirely something of your own volitions. I simply ask that my generosity is not snubbed."

Their irritation toward the boy lifted, moderately; that wasn't entirely comfortable a sensation, if he really was telepathic as the bespectacled teen suspected. Still, his own unspoken sentiment carried clearly: He would not take no for an answer.

"Heh," The Chazz gave a smirk, and uttered a complete 180 of his previous stance on the matter. "If these things are on the level, I'll gladly take them off your hands. _I know Burning Dragon's legit..._"

Leo did not answer; at least not in spoken words. Instead, he raised his hand. For the five, their surroundings changed almost-but-not-quite nauseatingly fast: From a desert and sand and a conference table, to indoor areas; bedrooms and an office.

Despite what Leo had intended, they did not set about their assigned/requested task immediately. Instead, what some did - if 'some' was even a worthwhile term on such a small scale - was navel-gazing about their 'gift cards', about whether their use was even ethical.

_"On one hand, they're gonna be real in the future, or that's what he wants us to think,"_ Alexis contemplated while holding the Gungnir card in two dainty fingers. _"On the other hand, it shouldn't even exist in this day and age, **even **if it is a legitimate card... not like it matters; he didn't say anything about how to Summon these things."_

She shifted her gaze to the cards scattered to the winds on the desk, and leaned forward. The chair moved with her, self-evidently. She began to speculate - _"Maybe one Blizzard Dragon is enough" - _about ideas for this 'next iteration' of her Deck, once more.

From within the walls of the various rooms, Luna watched, as Leo previously had, over the quintet, through multiple faux-human bodies. Partly she felt whimsically thirsty, partly she felt giddy, partly she felt Leo's presence in her mind and body, filling every gap and covering for every shortcoming. Now there was a non sequitur.

But anyway, back to the humans. The revisioning of Alexis' Deck had visibly not progressed far; only three monsters had been included in it so far. In her sleeping quarters reigned only ambient silence; the multidimensional blasphemy of 'Celestial' presence was beyond human ability to sense. The teen eyed the piles of Duel Monsters cards, mostly lost in her own thoughts.

Specifically, it was two cards which her mind was focused on: _"If I put Ice Master and Blizzard Princess in, that'll yield enough attack power to handle anything short of a Gate Guardian, but on the other hand... worst-case scenario, I'll have to sacrifice ten monsters out of about fifteen... it's workable, but it could backfire... ... ..." _her train of thought continued apace. A faded breath later, she placed the Spellcaster pair with the White Night trio; what her decision had been was self-evident.

A few shuffles of her monster card stack later, six more candidates for the next iteration were fished out. Through her biological brain of neurons and synapses coursed, well, electrical currents that were translated into coherent thoughts concerning potential strategies and combos involving the Knights of Ice and Fairies of Cold.

The twin Celestials watched, munching on conjured popcorn like they were on a date in a cinema because such had apparently amused them to do; they were abominations of nature, which somehow translated to them enjoying popcorn. Perhaps, they ought to be told that while Lovecraftian Horrors such as them inherently defied all forms of rationality and logic, this sort of thing was not quite what was meant by that core concept.

Their actions amounted only to active brainwashing, to achieve their desired end results of these Deck revisionings and to see that their gifts were added in, regardless of what the group might feel about it; indeed, they were aware of including their bestowed cards in only the vaguest senses... perhaps, there should not be an 'only' in the previous line of narration; it was really rather a grievous transgression, to violate people's free will in such a manner.

But as the esteemed Sir Lovecraft had argued at length in his literary works, human concerns and interests were irrelevant to the universe in its entirety, and humans fundamental powerless against the hordes of eldritch abominations from both within and from beyond this universe. He was somewhat a depressing fellow, but fascinating to converse with, indisputably.

In the depths beneath the Academy, a psychic whose power was beyond his own control was doing nothing much, except for a passable imitation of a stoner; this performance was not quite award-winning. He was currently giving a lengthy and eloquent lecture regarding a diverse number of sociopolitical dilemmas in rusty Kuribohese to no-one but himself, for he was completely alone in his cage. Upon seeing him, it might be hard to believe that he was currently occupying Zane's role as the top student at the Academy, but it was true nonetheless... somehow.

Suddenly, she came to a realization, and broke into a run; about ten-thirteen minutes later, she halted on the trail to the main building. Within the woods, she spotted someone who she could only describe as Tarzan, in that he was shirtless, tan-skinned and well-muscled.

The shirtless male eyed the clothed female with wariness. The clothed female stared back, dumbfounded. Ambient noise filled the silence. Neither blinked, even in the slightest. The stranger retreated, leaving a Tarzanesque hollering as a parting remark. "Wauw," the clothed female spoke aloud, to no-one, "that was kinda weird... still, never a dull moment at Duel Academy."

She continued to run, the odd encounter all but forgotten. Ten minutes later, she arrived at the field tests, late as all get-out. Exactly ten seats and three rows away, Professor Stein noted the arrival of the female Obelisk, and rose to greet her. Alexis turned at the sound of footsteps.

"Miss Rhodes, I can't help but notice that you've arrived late," the history teacher's dullard voice contained a note of disappointment. Briefly he recalled that a few of her friends - Syrus Truesdale, her brother, Chazz Princeton, James Harrison - were likewise late.

"I know, and I'm sorry," the blonde replied hastily and sheepishly. "I tried to get here earlier, but I was revising my Deck and lost track of time."

Professor Stein eyed her, somehow lifelessly. "Well, it isn't an issue; now, I believe that Mister Harrison currently lacks an opponent. Perhaps you could Duel him?" he suggested. The blonde accepted, and quickly made her way to the specified Duel Field.

"You're... Atticus Rhodes, right?" the raven-haired Obelisk inquired, hesitantly, scratching the back of his head. Alexis gave a taken-aback sort of look in return; inwardly she wondered if he was joking.

"No," the blonde corrected him, "I'm _Alexis_ Rhodes; but if you don't mind, could we dispense with the formalities and get on with the Duel?"

"Sure, uhhh... _Miss! _Miss, I know that term," the teen whose last name apparently was Harrison assured her hastily, giving a beaming smile as well. The Duel was begun by what else but a draw of five cards per person.

"My move, I draw," Alexis proclaimed, and performed the proclaimed action. "You'll want to listen up, because this is about to get intense; first I'll summon my Ice Knight to the field!"

A figure coated in a layer of golden light appeared. The light cooled - pun absolutely intended - into a humanoid creature. Its armor of ice and crystal was hued blue and purple and green. In its hand, it brandished a lance colored slate grey; for some reason, the simplistic lance was adorned with emerald, the sort one might expect from a mage's staff, if he or she had been so gaudily-inclined. [1300/1200]

"Nice, an ice Deck," Mister Harrison commented. "I always liked White Night Queen's effect, it's neat. Speaking 'a which, could we get through this _without _any ice puns? They really aren't cool, see what I mean?"

"I... I wasn't actually going to make any, so, sure," the blonde replied with an amused smile. Ice Knight's Attack Points promptly rose for no observable reason. [1700/1200]

If Mister Harrison was surprised by the inexplicable powerboost, well, it didn't show. At all. Nope. It did of course help quite a bit that he lalready knew its power. Alexis continued undeterred. "Next, I'll activate my Icicle Sword equip spell! It gives my Ice Knight an extra 500 Attack and Defense points," Alexis exposited.

A snowstorm swept around the icy knight. A jagged blade of ice formed around his unused hand, restricting the mobility of that appendage to near... absolute zero! YEAAAAHHH! [2200/1700]

"But wait, there's more," she revealed. "Namely, that any monster equipped with Icicle Sword gets a boost to its attacking capabilities: Now, Ice Knight can attack Spells and Traps on the field, not just monsters."

Mister Harrison's face dropped in amazement, an expression mirrored by several dozen onlookers. "So, you're saying," Harrison began after regaining a measure of his composure, "that your Chuckles the merry snowman has heaps of battlepower _and _can attack all the cards I put down? Nice combo; weird like ya wouldn't believe, but nice."

"Thanks, Mister Harrison," she accepted the compliment. Ice Knight sweatdropped, mortified and shamed beyond measure at being referred to as 'Chuckles the merry snowman'; maybe so. "Next, I'll place a single face-down card, and end my turn with that."

"Sweetness," the Obelisk cheered, performing his own draw... with gusto. "Alright, check it! By discarding a Kuriboh, any Kuriboh, from my hand, I get to Special Summon this guy! Winged Kuriboh LV4!"

The card was slammed with all the force of a peacock down on the Disk. A sudden shadow enveloped the entire Dueling field, startling both Alexis and the other ten Dueling individuals.

Alexis looked up, and was met with what she could only call a Winged Kuriboh literally the size of the Slifer Red Dorm. Its amounts of battlestrength were presented front and center. [300/200]

_"So he uses a Kuriboh Deck?" _Alexis speculated. _"But what does LV4 do? ... LV10 destroys out the opponent's monsters and deals massive damage afterwards, and LV9's effect made it incredibly strong... but is LV4's effect even on the same track?"_

"Yeah, he might not look like a big deal, but his ability def's is," Mister Harrison conceded sheepishly. "Because with this guy on my field, I can select one of your turn phases, and cut it out by the root; you're not the only one with unorthodox tricks, Miss Rhodes."

"I... never even implied that I was," she corrected with mild apprehension. "But which phase are you taking out; my draw phase or my battle phase?"

Mister Harrison hesitated to answer. His expression turned thoughtful. Finally he replied, "Uh, your battle phase, I guess, or maybe your end phase... nah, squash that idea, how would that even work? Anyway, I end my turn."

The female obelisk drew wordlessly. She recognized it as her White Night Queen. _"Perfect; this is just what I could use right now. _I activate a Spell, Star Blast!" she slid the green-hued card into her Disk. The contraption hummed merrily as it enacted the function of the magical card.

_"I've heard of that card; but it's supposed to be pretty hella expensive to use," _Mister Harriso frowned. "Don't forget, you can't attack this turn."

"Now I can reduce the Level of my White Night Queen, simply by paying 500 of my Life Points for each star she loses," she exposited.

In the middle of the Duel Field, the White Night ruler appeared as a ghostly figure in the darkness. Surrounding her were seven red-colored spheres, each of which were emblazoned with golden five-pronged stars.

A chilly atmosphere seemed to descend over the Duel field which had largely moved past the summoning of the gargantuan furball, from the mere partial presence of the literal ice queen.

Abrubtly, the spheres shattered, one by one, and with each, Alexis' Life Points dropped substantially. [Alexis: 2500]

"Now, I'll normal summon my White Night Queen, in Attack Mode!" Alexis yelled for all to hear. Chunks of solid ice which had appeared outta frick-knew-where flew together towards a single spot beside Ice Knight, lumping together into a... a misshapen human-sized block of ice.

The outer layers of the holographic ice faded, revealing Mai Valentine, or one who resembled her... if not for the dark-blue hair-color, and if not for the white-blue skin, and if not for the slivers of ice that apparently served to cover up her shapely and otherwise bare body; though it fit with the whole ice motif, it made very little sense. Then again, Duel Monsters. [2100/800]

"That is _hardcore!" _Mister Harrison made known his amazement. "It's only your second turn, and you've already busted out two powerful monsters! I can't wait to see what's next!"

"You're too kind," Alexis shot back, "... but I don't have any other moves to make, so, your turn."

He drew wordlessly, as she had. "Well, why don't we just call it another turn for Thomas Harrison?"

Murmurs of confusion ran through the sections of the horde of spectators that were watching their Duel, over the fact that Harrison was doing bugger all even though they could see that he held more than enough cards to do.

"Really?" Alexis ventured to raise an eyebrow at the unorthodox declaration.

"Silence, fool," Harrison boomed forcefully, speaking in what could only be called uncharacteristic language for him. "Harrison does what Harrison decides."

"Okay, jeez," Alexis muttered, a bit indignant about his manner of address. Inwardly, she wondered what his deal was, apart from eccentricity.

"And since it's your turn, my Kuriboh acts up," Harrison declared. The immense demonic ball of fur cooed softly over them all. "Bid your battle phase goodbye."

Alexis nodded in acceptance, and conducted her draw. "You can't keep stalling forever," the blonde admonished him, her voice across the dimly lit field. "Sooner or later, I'll find something that'll break through that Kuriboh of yours."

Harrison smirked. "Maybe you will," he conceded. "But I've got a hunch that I'll stall for this turn too."

Alexis grumbled, knowing him to be right. "I'll end my turn."

"I draw," he said and did so. "And instead of ending my turn, I'll sacrifice my Winged Kuriboh LV4 along with two other Kuribohs from my hand, to summon out this guy: Kuriboh LV7!"

Above them, the behemoth shattered in uncountable holographic fragments, letting in the electrical lighting of the arena. Momentarily disoriented from the rapidly shifting conditions, Alexis missed seeing the creation of the miniature furball, as did several others. The Attack Point indicator stuck long enough for most to see it. [3000/200]

"3000 Attack Points!?" Alexis exclaimed incredulously. A general sensation of disbelief spread like wildfire among the spectators at the sight of the formidable monster. That disbelief was centered around the core idea of a Kuriboh being as strong as a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Harrison simply smirked triumphantly. "Now let's see them in action! Berserker Crush!"

With an angry look in its eyes, the demonic furball charged forward, only to suddenly find itself encased in a block of ice. "Huh?" Harrison asked on behalf of his frozen monster, noticing quickly that her Trap card had been activated. Wasn't that a novelty, thought nobody present.

"That is courtesy of my Ice Barrier card," Alexis answered his inquiry, while sliding the card into her graveyard. "What it does is put your attacking monster, on _ice_: It now has 0 Attack Points, its effect is negated, and you can't change its battle position either."

Harrison frowned. "And here I thought that we could get through this here Duel without any ice puns. Still, that's one frozen hell of a card."

Alexis ignored his comment on the ice puns - they were cool, no matter what he said. _"You ain't seen nothing yet,"_ she thought to herself. A quick glance at her hand confirmed, not that she had doubted, the continued presence of Blizzard Princess and Cold Enchanter.

Harrison's thoughts were of a different: _"Bird-poop on a stick, what do I do?"_ he thought panickedly. _"Between the two of them, I can't put any Spells or Traps down, but I don't have anything big and strong enough to take out either of these... just my luck; four cards in my hand and no way out. This bit's gonner hurt... _Uhh, I'll just end my turn, I think."_  
_

Alexis nodded and drew what she saw to be her Ice Angel card. "Now, White Night Queen, attack his Kuriboh! Might of the White Night Ruler!" she ordered, holding her arm out forcefully._  
_

The literal ice queen obeyed without hesitation, swinging out her arms. From Jack Frost nowhere, gusts of wind littered with snowfall shot forth from underneath her arms, towards the already-frozen Kuriboh, like whips of frosty force.

Though one might logically expect a cold front to do bugger all, given that the demonic furball was safely preserved in a block of ice, the attack worked nonetheless; most likely, some obscure law of physics was at play, counter-intuitive though a gust of wind shattering a block of ice might seem.

The conjured wind currents swept around the frozen furball, coating the prismatic ice in a layer of pale white. Then it shattered into exactly eighty-four pieces...

The winds engulfed the Duelist as well, and it was fortunate that was a mere hologram, because the genuine arcticle could have presented a risk, albeit minor, of frostbite. [Harrison: 1900]

"Time for attack number two: Ice Knight, end this Duel!" she ordered again. The warrior charged forth, with every intention of inflicting a physical condition which in formal terms was called not stabbity-stab-stab but a grievous stab wound. Psycho...

Harrison's reaction to being stabbed in the gut with a blade of ice was fairly subdued, but in his mind, he was screaming bloody murder. Who could blame the bloke? Through the arena sounded a blunt-edged 'beeeeeep' as his Life Points dropped to zero and this Duel concluded. [Harrison: 0]

* * *

**Y'know, I think I'm really starting to develop a distinctive writing style with this chapter; said _style_ being almost wholly detached from reality and sanity, with only occasional moments of lucidity.**

**Now, I believe that I forgot this bit; pretty much the closest thing I can think of to a 'Card of The Day' thing in written format, without excessive whistles and bells, which probably should be included now that I think about it...**

**. . . . . Alexis . . . . .**

**Icicle Sword | Equip Spell**

**Equip only to a LIGHT or WATER monster. Your opponent takes no battle damage from battles involving the equipped monster. The equipped monster gains 500 ATK/DEF. You can have the equipped monster target Spell/Trap Cards on the field (treat that card as a monster with ATK/DEF of 0) for battle attacks.**


	4. The Shadow Duelists 1 - Redux

**Firstly, might I simply say, iloveyugiohgx93, that I am less than inclined to extend that particular courtesy, due to several causes.**

**1: Your charming tendency to incessantly spam other fanfics with the preposterous demand that they feature at least 1000 words per chapter. Quite hypocritical, too, given how several of your stories don't meet that 'requirement', so you evidently know better.**

**2: Your delightful tendency to offer the same commentary, over and over and over, in your reviews, with very little variation.**

**3: How you've set up multiple accounts for yourself, simply to impose that silly demand of yours; does 'cleopatrayuki87' ring a bell?**

**...**

**Anyway: In this chapter, Maximillion Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters, makes a non-gratuitous cameo. Also, Tarzan sightings are involved. These are exactly as connected as they sound.**

**At least, that was the original plan for this chapter and the next two. But those plans, evidently, have changed. Instead we get the degeneration of sanity encapsulated in a chapter. Also: The narrow sidestepping of the Stations of the Canon. Also: The narration is deranged.**

**The Tarzan-sightings, though, they stay in.**

* * *

As one might imagine, a few days had passed by on Duel Academy Island; students had studied, teachers had taught, plotters had plotted, some had delved into the worlds of the occult, and a random-ass muscular dude was prowling the woods; to quote Shakespeare: Finally we are all the same, all is as it has always been... or perhaps that wasn't the bard to have said that originally, but the narration digressed.

As one might expect, a musclebound man roaming the jungle had quickly become the topic of conversations outside of the classrooms; very few knew about the Tarzanesque student, though, so it was not a popular subject nor was it much believed in by those who did know about it. Who knew?

Ah, but the matter of the human who lived in the forest with the animals and the wilderness, like Tarzan, was currently no concern of the blonde's, and a story for another time and place regardless.

Quietude reigned in the bedroom. Alexis observed with contentment that everything was ready. Today, there would be no classes, no supernatural and/or weird stuff, no high-stakes Duel Monsters matches, nothing but her, and her Battle City DVD, and a bowl of popcorn to enjoy the show with.

What she was not aware of, was the presence of otherworldly entities dwelling within her personal name, as they had set up shop inside the names of Chazz Princeton, and Syrus Truesdale, and Atticus Rhodes, and Vellian Crowler, and Midori Hibiki. The surrealism of the notion still baffled the narration text to no end; for one thing, names didn't- they couldn't- how could they be _there_?

Such existential oddities aside, what was inside her name- holy crap, if one believed that eldritch abominations existing within human names was a surreal and silly notion, seeing the actual territory constructed within would just about shatter the last vestiges of one's sanity.

In whatever form of space existed within the name of Alexis Rhodes was not a hellish landscape, but something quite different, the idealized image of a tropical landscape. It appeared quite strongly that they had not set up 'shop', but instead a sandy beach, a shimmering morning sun, a bright ocean that extended beyond the horizon, perfect clear skies, and a pretty nice house for that region.

How the crap had a pair of lovecraftian horrors masquerading as human preteens (why?) managed or even desired to conjure up a vacation home in what was no way a physical space? That wasn't a way of expressing their antipathy towards what humanity considered the laws of nature, that was just sheer pointless silly bullcrap. The narration currently required a potent alcoholic substance to forget about this bit of nonsensicality.

In the house's sole living room was- the narration text felt a burgeoning urge to leave, as it really rather sorta absolutely did _not _want to narrate this absurd, surreal crap, but what choice did it have in the matter?

In the house's sole living room was the Celestial that assumed the bodily shape of the Signer known as Luna, and perhaps had once been her. Her identity was neither here nor there, for the narration didn't really care. She had elected to manifest as a singular being, unlike the one she knew as her brother and lover.

Scattered leisurely around the logically unable to exist living room was the male Celestial, in four vessels operated by the same core mind. Or, at least an outside observer would perceive four bodies, because currently he existed in what humanity would understand as a state of quantum superposition.

One of his current material shapes was a human skeleton, stripped of flesh, that moved through the power of his own mind. The second was a bubbling orange-colored smattering of flesh-soup, that served no purpose other than to produce poisons and toxins. The third was... a geometric shape that was contradictorily both spherical yet held enough angles and edges to appear physically painful, and orbited the Luna look-a-like. The fourth was the outwardly human body of Leo that was lazily cuddling with Luna on the room's couch.

"Oh, Leo," she said with a giggle as her other half pressed a soft kiss into her neck. In a brief-lived second, the greenette mused that this 'snuggling' concept was a fairly entertaining pastime.

Without withdrawing from her neck, Leo's fourth body conveyed psionically, 'Yes, my fair lady?'

Luna failed responding, still lightly disoriented by the sensations, the warmth of human flesh against human flesh. With an unsteady breath, she composed herself once more. "As pleasurable as this is, I believe that it would be prudent to carry on our investigation into the Chaos Magic Empire."

Leo shifted, moving away from her neck. "Quite correct. Business before pleasure, as goes the human saying, and this activity is very enjoyable, verging on addictive."

A smile formed on Luna's countenance. "Indeed."

They thought, and with that thought, they banished all forms of sound and noise from their current, surreal domain. Their bodies remained in the weird-ass place, but fragments of their consciousnesses separated from the vaster wholes, drifting through their own intents across the veil of the dimensions. And like so, interdimensional astral projection was added to the metaphorical (not) list of power.

Those fragments-of-mind emerged into a dimension not truly dissimilar from Earth in appearance, but radically alien in structure and layout. The slivers existed without shape and form and substance that human eyes could physically perceive; no crap, Sherlock.

Even reduced to less than nothing when compared with the totality of the pandimensional beings, they still possessed sufficient power to conjure up material bodies, if they cared to, which they seemingly did not. What these remnamts did do, was form a mere telepathic illusion around the space they occupied.

To any human or Duel Monster observer, it would appear that a pair of children were flying in gleeful and blatant defiance of gravity. From their metaphysical vantage points in the cloudy skies, the two saw through their not-material eyes the land below that extended into relative infinity, in all directions.

What they sensed most keenly was, through their higher sensory abilities that pertained to space and time on the most fundamental level available, the faint traces of 'reality-damage', scar tissue in spacetime. It was unmistakable to them, the scent of raw bleeding power that emanated from the nearby castle, the arcane energies building within.

In the fraction of a picosecond, they arrived at what was officially and in full called: The Throne Room of the Chaos Magic Empire Castle, Dominion of the Beasts Division. Cathartic, really.

The few minions, Breakers and Defenders, gathered in the throne leapt into action against the sudden incursion of a telepathic illusion operated remotely from a different dimension, what a wondrous thing.

The psionic imitation of Leo rolled his bloody mental eyes. That single and slight gesture halted the assemblage of Duel Spirits in their tracks.

To be technical, what Leo had done was the usage of telepathic power and telekinetic power in unison to simulate that time stood still. On paper, it wasn't exactly the ability to halt the flow of time, but the practice of genuinely stopping time resulted in a considerably long list of problems to regards to the laws of physics.

The manifestions of the Celestials commenced their counterattacks on their immobilized opponents. With less than a thought from the beings who were themselves merely a thought, Ancient Fairy Dragon and Power Tool Dragon manifested.

Momentarily, the psychic timestop broke for a single poor Breaker the Magical Warrior, allowing him to let out a gasp at the dragons that had, from his perspective, appeared from nowhere. They slew him before he could even begin to wonder what had happened.

The other eight were dispatched as easily as the one Breaker had been. One by one, their bodies discorporated into dying vestiges of spiritual energy, as was apparently a law of nature in what was called the Duel Monsters Spirit Worlds.

A quick glance between them, even without applying mind-to-mind communication, confirmed that they both were aware of the same particular detail: That everything in this castle was made of pure Chaos Magic.

Leo extended his arm towards the floor, which was all that he could be seen to physically do. One could not truly understand what the Celestial did, without first understanding the nature of Chaos Magic. Essentially, it was the arcane arts _to _the arcane arts: Just as magic violated the laws of conventional science, so too did Chaos Magic violate the laws of mundane magic and science, offering far greater power at virtually no cost and without requiring study.

What one might then question, would be the relative absence of Chaos Magic. The answer was that Chaos Magic was detrimental to the stability of reality, as previously exposited about, quite a bit above. Or, in layman's terms:

Leo's simplistic gesture of sticking his arm out and his own Chaos Magic power, it somehow caused the floor beneath them and beneath them and above them and around them to become transmuted into a liquid substance that glowed brightly in all the colors of the rainbow.

A second before it had been transmuted into such, it had been unraveled into a form of nothingness that tasted like a tree. At the same time, physical space around the pair had ceased to be colorless and was now a gaudy shade of purple. The last vestiges of the narration's strained sanity crumbled under the strain of what was transpiring.

Even their own mental manifestations on that plane of reality did not escape the exertions of his Chaos Magic. Luna's left hand... it... it was now sticking out of her backs, literally plural, now, a good dozen hands out of three backs. What?

Naturally, the rulers of the castle took note of the invaders. The Dark Magician of Chaos and Dark Magician Girl of Chaos - who else, the narration snarked tiredly - charged towards them. Though they were but two individuals, it should come as a surprise to no-one that it visually appeared as though they were approaching from dozens of directions all at once, given the general reality screwiness going on.

That new arrival, caused the conflict to escalate into actual hostility, and made it truly bizarre. What transpired couldn't truly be described or relayed or explained to second-hand observers. The only means of doing so would be loose metaphor that conveyed the gist of it and what it felt like, not what it actually was. When both sides were capable of butchering reality itself and exist, unharmed, in the bleeding gash of spacetime, sanity tended to be told to take a hike.

What happened next could only be described as: The space between where the two Celestials and where the Chaos-wielding Spellcasters were, was turned inside out, pushed around a bit. Then, a bastard spear made from the corpse of an hour was hurtled at Leo. It disappeared as quickly as it had formed, through no act of his or Luna's.

Space itself began to convulse as both sides shoved at it, commanding it to close around the other pair and burst like a balloon. All around the foursome, outside the perimeter of spacetime distortion, their minions watched, failing entirely to comprehend what was transpiring in front of them. Words failed to do the surreal sight justice, a Bau the Black Dog Beast reflected, but merely to state that itself, it failed to convey the spectacle of it.

Others still were flat-out terrified by the incomprehensible event before them. A few watched with wordless acceptance of the impossible and inconceivable, and revised their mental opinions of their masters; no Duel Monster could ever accomplish anything on this scale, of that Chaos Command Magician was certain. Not even the Earthbound Immortals of myth would be able to do this.

Steadily, the core 'Chaos Zone', to borrow a term, began to expand. Space visibly splintered, and radiant darkness poured like the fluid it currently was from the cracks in reality.

Forces as similar to gravity as electromagnetism itself was to poorly made turtle soup began to pull at the Monster Spirits, and showed them HOW EVIL THEY WERE.

The hell-hound of the assemblage of minions began to change fur-color for little apparent reason, from black to green to violet to ultraviolet to orange to brown to scarlet to black to white to blue to gray to purple to yellow to infrared to red to red to red to red to red to red to blue to blue.

From a direction that had more than three spatial dimensions to it came several bolts of dark lightning, slaying the few minions that were practically consumed by the crescendo of crazy already. Quite the mundane display, despite the narration of it.

The four entities continued simply their reality-devouring struggle. Leo raised his twelfth hand. Towards the Chaos magicians hurtled now a triangular object of morality rather than physicality.

The lady mage of Chaos screamed at the top of her lungs. Around the object that Leo had conjured, there grew now normal spacetime, making it impossible, physically and metaphysically, that the arsenals of weird crap that constituted their respective weaponries could exist.

The meager drop of colorless space that she had created was consumed within seconds by the irrationality they had infected the world with, like acid melting through flesh and bone.

"Why do you oppose us, strangers?" the Dark Magician of Chaos called out to their mystery assailants. His voice carried clearly, despite the immense reality damage. The words immediately burst into flame, their non-existent substance ignited by the 83% breakdown of logic in the area.

Luna's reply came quickly, delivered through a dozen forcibly-created bodies, all of varying size. "We have made the assessment that firstly, the power you harness is detrimental to the stability of reality. Secondly, we find you both unworthy of wielding it, as you only use it for the sake of your own selfish desires."

"Hypocrites," the Dark Magician Girl of Chaos spat. "What gives you two such authority? What, aside from your own arrogance, permits you to dictate how Chaos Magic is 'rightfully' to be used? You have no right to decide us unworthy of it!"

"We have the right," the legions of Leo calmly rebuked in unison. With every syllable he spoke, scores of his bodies disappeared and a differing amount appeared in their places.

Being as it was that the laws of physics termed 'conservation of mass' and 'conservation of energy' had been long since removed from the equation, short-circuited from the very start of this skirmish, as a matter of fact, it should not come as a surprise that- never mind, that wasn't about to happen, anyway.

If it happened to sound bewildering or surreal, that was perhaps inevitable, for how could one describe the indescribable?

Slowly, the reality-disrupting conflagration died down, well sort of. In the aftermath of the conflict, that particular area of the Dominion of the Beasts had been reduced to nothingness, not in the sense that the physical objects there had been damaged beyond all repair or recognition, but in the sense that the universe itself was broken there.

What was there, after the struggle, was a formless senseless void, where all the laws of physics and magic had ceased to apply, where reality was subjective rather than objective.

The ethereal manifestations of the two posthumans observed the thing with senses outside those possessed by humans, and knew what it could lead to: Though unlikely, a sufficiently powerful entity, human or Duel Monster or otherwise, could construct their own alternate dimension through this phenomenon. Luna reflected, that very few beings in the multiverse would have the abilities _and _the knowledge_ and _the sensory abilities to actually construct a dimension, so it was... _somewhat _improbable that it actually happened.

Regardless of all that, the two quickly set about the task of mending what they deemed an object too irrational to exist. In Leo's hand appeared now something that eyes could not perceive. Whatever it actually was, it served its seeming purpose. Through the whole strange expanse, in spaces no larger than atoms, normal space/time/physics/magic resumed their normal manners of functioning, normal for that particular dimension that was.

Like a mist lifting, the reality/spacetime disruption was dispelled, piece by piece, the integrity of that small bit of spacetime mended before it amounted to a problem. It took some time, however, to fully undo the damage that their battle with the two Chaos Spellcasters had inflicted upon that dimension. About an hour later, they were done with the whole process of restructuring reality.

With their purpose served, the telepathic/interdimensional projections were allowed to fade, across the dimensional barriers.

Back in the logically impossible space inside Alexis Rhodes' name - the narration could still not wrap its metaphorical head around the somewhat surreal concept, for it was apparently a sentient and/or sapient entity in its own right - Leo and Luna were still inside their engineered bedroom. Where else would they be?

Alexis herself was doing exactly what she had been doing before, watching the Battle City tournament on DVD, or rather, only the Battle City Finals. The human remained wholly unaware, through all of her five senses, of the immense battle just waged across dimensions.

* * *

**Well, that was certainly eventful. Originally, the whole Chaos Magic Empire thing was planned, at some point, to play a MUCH larger role in this story, but I guess not. Anyway, here's today's ****'Card of The Day'...**

**. . . . . Dark Magician Girl of Chaos . . . . .**

**Dark Magician Girl of Chaos | 7/DARK/Spellcaster/Effect | 2300/2200**

**When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 Trap Card in your Graveyard; add that target to your hand. Banish any monster destroyed by battle with this card.**


	5. The Shadow Duelists 2 - Redux

**Okay, how do I make this section more appealing to listen to... I suppose that a huge info-dump about what is planned for this particular installment of the story would suffice. ****A bit late and out of place, given that this is chapter 05/25, but eh, it wouldn't be the weirdest thing put down here. As I'm certain is readily apparent, I'm not exactly the most verbose/eloquent guy ever to roam this planet.**

**This story will diverge in both minor and major ways, several yet to be determined, from GX (anime) canon. I haven't yet thought this fic through in any real capacity beyond C06/25 and loose plot-points.**

**● As the mentions of '/25' indicates, I currently intend to distill this particular rewrite of GX to 25 chapters, for the sake of brevity/originality.**

**● I feel it to merit mention that this story draws inspiration from GX in general, rather than either of the canons. Generally, their presented backstories apply, but some details have been resolved. In some cases, events from both series will be revisited here, like in the past few chapters, but in some cases with some distinctions, because what would be the point of writing down the very events we saw in the anime/manga, one by one?**

**● Some characters will be using cards that they did not use in either the anime/manga continuities, for the sake of filling out their Decks. Where this happens, I have taken care to ensure that these cards are thematic fits for the character in question. Hopefully, these alterations won't be too irritating.**

**Without further ado, (okay a little) I wish you good reading. Reviews would be greatly appreciated.**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**(Demons of the arch angel) ****I'm happy to hear that, sincerely. Looking back, that ending is less than satisfactory, now, even if it was the logical resolution of the upcoming event****s. Hopefully, this chapter's Battle Royal (Chumley VS Midori VS Syrus) will prove equally satisfactory.**

* * *

At much the same time as Alexis was in her dorm room, enjoying herself with popcorn and Battle City, it should not need saying that other people were doing other things of their own. For, as Yugi freakin' King of Games Muto himself had said several years ago: _There is something special about a story about a Pharaoh, but everyone has their own story, a story that completes in the light._

And it was true; hundreds of such stories would have today another page added to their metaphorical autobiographies. Around the Academy's private island, many students could be found, busy with their own activities. For the most part, their activities pertained to their own goals and desires. Mundane and uneventful activities, perhaps, but by no means unimportant.

In the one of the Duel Puzzle halls, the two Obelisk Blues - as opposed to Obelisk Reds/Yellows/Whites/Greens, mind you - Chazz and Jake had seemingly decided to resume their training. Currently, the system had been set to what was termed Level 1 Grade 5. In layman's terms, it meant that they faced an opponent allowed to conduct five Normal Summons a turn, draw five cards a turn, and had 20,000 starting Life Points. For Gorz and Kaien, with the backing of his newly-acquired-just-this-morning Wild Wingman, this presented quite a challenge, but not an insurmountable one.

In the Ra Yellow Dorm and in Dimitri's room, he and Bastion was to be found. What currently occupied them was a joint attempt to construct an actual Deck for the teen whose striking resemblance to the legendary King of Games apparently went completely unnoticed by the people around him.

Outside the Slifer Red Dorm, Chumley was currently involved in a practice Duel against Midori, while Syrus cheered him on and several other Slifers watched quietly. As could be inferred from the fact that the teen was currently facing down Doma the Angel of Silence, Belial, Marquis of Darkness, Darklord Superbia and Midori Hibiki, he was faring spectacularly. Or losing quite badly. Whichever you wanted to call it.

It could only be considered a grave disservice, one worthy of claiming the narration's life by right of insult, to focus on one particular story out of the hundreds available, but for today, this disservice would need to be rendered, for no better reason that Midori's story for today involved a supernatural occurrence... totes for real, bro/sis.

Midori glanced briefly at 'him', taking in the appearance and attire of the demonic being. Sickly pallor, dark hair, dark clothes, glasses lit with a faint purple glow, nineteen or so. That particular facet stood out to her, but she decided to not comment on the glowing eyes; it wasn't that intriguing.

"Just tell me what dirty business you want taken care of this time," Midori sighed, her expression a frown devoid of patience. The male did not react. In fact, he did not make even the slightest form of movement. He just stood, almost appearing like a corpse.

That facade broke when he smirked lightly. "Come now, Midori, there's no need for such rash mannerisms," he chided her playfully. "After all, have we not had pleasant exchanges in the past? Why, this might even just be my paying you a simple visit. That possibility exists, I'll remind you."

"One; you don't_ ever_ freeze time except for when you have a job for me," the woman countered. "Two; you're the Devil himself, you _don't_ make social calls."

The second, at the least, extradimensional being to visit Central Duel Academy island that day refrained from replying. His neutral expression did not serve to indicate whether that was out of disinterest or his inability to come up with a reply, but truthfully, Midori did not care.

"Very well," this alleged 'devil' entity conceded. There was no movement, however minute, to be spotted from any part of him, however his eyes were now deep green rather than purple and his hair had completely changed color, into a chestnut brown. Midori understandably raised an eyebrow, but did not otherwise respond to his shifting appearance. "The fact of the matter is that there are currently a mystical force loose at this very school."

Midori's sole reaction amounted largely to a skeptical look. His vagueness did not escape her. Lightly, she felt reminded of those rumors about Battle City. "A 'mystical force'? Are you messing with me here?"

"Most certainly not," the other-worldly blonde - who was now female, apparently - protested. "The force I speak of is quite real and quite intriguing. From what I have been able to gather, this power is millions of years old, at the very least, and as such, considerably dangerous."

Midori nodded; truthfully, it eluded her as to why he deemed its age a relevant factor, but the explanation was probably coated in all kinds of techno-babble, or magi-babble, she observed with derision. Still, millions of years, that was sort-of impressive, she reflected silently.

Her mind began to speculate idly about the relevance of the age of this 'power'; was age and power somehow connected in magic?

The extradimensionally-projected telepathic illusion went on. "This power apparently has a tendency to incarnate in human forms, so do keep watch for anything outside the mundane."

"Just a quick question, but is that the same thing that sent Koyo into a coma?" Midori questioned, clear concern at the center of her voice.

The elderly man's gaze fixed on her, shifting back into an sky-blue glow. His expression was almost sorrowful, now. "No," he replied matter-of-factly. Somehow, his evasiveness annoyed Midori more than she mused it ought to.

But, this did not fit together right. The devil himself, billions of years old, people working for him across dimensions that she had never even heard of and gathering information, and he was puzzled by this phenomena? Nope, did not compute. "How about you give me the whole story before I do this job?"

He inclined his head. The glasses were gone, she noted, and the eyeballs themselves were flame-like green. "I will be brief: Several million years ago, in a dimension now called the Dominion of the Beasts, there was born a prince. The prince held within him a power called the Darkness of Justice, a power intended to oppose a great evil. As time passed, the power grew stronger, and nowadays, the power resides within one of the humans at this school who is the reincarnation of this prince. Your current task is to locate this particular human and report the individual's identity back to me, by next month."

Midori was no less skeptical of it all than she had been five minutes ago. "Is that everything for now, or do you have _other_ orders for me?"

"I do not believe so," the now red-eyed teen granted. Apparently his/her appearance couldn't be bothered to remain consistent.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared completely and unceremoniously from Midori's field of vision. In that same heart-beat, time changed speed, and Chumley finished his draw with an exaggerated flourish.

Seeing as he had now only two cards, in his hand and in total, it hardly seemed that it would affect the outcome, but it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. Midori shrugged it all off, and focused her full attention on the Duel once more. Poor, helpless Chumley.

The heavy-set teen examined his cards, wracking his brain for a way out. Vampire Koala, Des Wombat. There wasn't one. He was screwed, and he knew it. "Hhh, I guess I'll summon Vampire Koala in Defense Mode..." he grimaced, and wearily put the card down.

In a outpour of golden lights, the purple-furred critter appeared. It resembled nothing as much as a generic blend between a vampire and a koala, hence its name one supposed. It crouched before its summoner to make its battle position plainly obvious to onlookers. [1800/1500]

Midori watched him with scrutiny, less than certain that this method was suitable in helping Chumley to grow. "Chumley, if you want to stop now, you can, no-one's going to blame you."

Chumley let his head drop. With a simple press to the red orb, the systems deactivated. The holograms faded away and the hardware moved back into its OFF state. His head rose up to face Miss Hibiki, with a resolute frown. "Nope, I'm _not _done just yet," he denied. "Let's have another go."

Midori smiled. It seemed, strongly so, that his recent Duel against his father was beneficial to Chumley's growth. "It would be my pleasure, Chumley, but how about we dial things up a notch?"

Chumley's expression expressly turned about twelve times, or ... 11.4 times, more wary. "Like what?"

"A Battle Royal Duel," Midori suggested coolly. Quickly, the Duel was started, a Duel looking to pit Chumley Huffington against Midori Hibiki against Syrus Truesdale.

The short-statured teen shot his hand a cursory glance, pleased with his draws. The same could well be said for Chumley and Midori. All was well that ended well.

"I believe that I'll start us off, gentlemen," Midori announced and drew. Briefly, the raven-haired woman inspected her draw. "For my first move, I'll summon the domain of the Darklords, the Castle of Dark Illusions."

With a single gesture, the card was placed atop her Duel Disk. A minute whirr served to indicate that it had been accepted by the card reader. With a snap of her fingers, her preferred affectation it seemed quite self-evidently, the very ground beneath them began to rumble, as though an earthquake was ravaging the island.

Both of her opponents were somewhat knocked off balance by the seismic force that their gear simulated, as were the spectators. Inside, Banner was cheerfully oblivious to the ruckus outside. So was Pharaoh. The cat was napping peaceably.

Above Midori's head appeared now a floating castle, enchanted by its lords and masters to repeal the force of gravity. For anyone who had ever witnessed Yugi's Duel against the Player Killer of Darkness, this would make quite the unnerving omen, moreso than a floating slab of rock already was. Clearly presented for all to bask in the glory of were its Defense Point strength value. [1200/2500]

Without warning or foreshadowing, trails of dark vapor began to pour down from the castle, spreading like a fine mist, or clouds perhaps, around Midori's entire field. The dark gaseous substance spred until the woman was completely obscured, pun intended completely, from sight by the holographic special effects, in a sea of darkness.

Having already seen the effect, nobody present needed to have it refreshed. "And now, to conclude my turn, I place three of my cards face-down," she called out to them from within the, technological and not supernatural, shadows. Three light snaps, verging on inaudible to human hearing from that distance, accompanied the familiar and much clearer sound of cards being placed face-down.

_"Totally NOT licious," _Chumley was tense with worry about his prospects. Why, was anyone's guess. _"Any of those cards could be Domain of the Dark Ruler, and with Castle of Dark Illusions already out, she gets to pick which of her monsters we attack... I guess that's why she's a teacher."_

"And with that, I conclude my first turn," Midori's voice carried loud and clear to them.

A faint glow from the blue orb of Syrus' Disk made it clear that it was his turn, and he was not slow to act on that. He was neither pleased nor displeased to get Cycroid, just feeling kinda neutrally bland-mooded about the draw.

Syrus' inspection of his hand yielded only one viable course of play: "I use the Spell card, Polymerization, to unite my Steamroid and Gyroid, so give it up for the best of the best of the roids! Steam Gyroid!"

Both pieces of cartoony machinery appeared, assuming combative poses. Behind the pair appeared a familiar sight: A violet whirlpool in the fabric of space, the purpose of which was to meld them together, and it did. The monsters began to hurtle towards the center of the spiral, spiraling to their timely ends as separate Duel Monsters.

The being which appeared from their union could only be described (if one asked Rick, a random Slifer Red) (where did Rick come from? Rick had been watching the whole Duel. Rick had always been watching the whole Duel. Rick was everything. Rick was everywhere. Rick was everyone. Rick was a cool dude. Who was Rick?) as sufficiently hideous to behold, almost to the extent that it was detrimental to one's sanity.

Visually, it resembled an amalgamation of the two machines, though some of its traits did not originate from either ingredient. That bit was par-for-the-course, though - A lotta Fusions were weird and awesome like that. [2200/1600]

The irate train-plane-hybrid stared down Midori's floating castle, evidently eager for a fight with the inanimate building. Its Duelist slid his expended cards into his Graveyard, feeling not particularly interested in those three any further. Also because he was required to per the rules of Duel Monsters.

"I end my turn," Syrus stated succinctly, and turned to regard his friend. "Show us what you got, Chumley."

Hesitant, Chumley conducted his draw after a momentary pause, and added the card to his hand.

It scarcely needed confirmation that the two multiversal protectors, hid away physically inside the names of two beings who they monitored in this universe, were also watching this Duel as the flock of Slifers were. Most crucially, they watched the duel with the intent of ensuring that the Gentle Darkness did not act up until they deemed it suitable for the power to stand revealed.

_-senseless narrative flip-flops aside-_ Chumster inspected his cards, his neurons racing to compute a viable strategy, flip-flopping between the obvious (stalling with Des Koala and Threatening Roar) and the less obvious possibilities available to him.

Having quickly arrived at a conclusion, he enacted it. "I'll summon a monster in Defense Mode!" he proclaimed heatedly, and calmly positioned the monster in question on his Disk. On his field materialized a large card with a brown backing and a black dot at the center. "Then, I'll place a card face-down and end my turn."

In acknowledgment of his statement, the Duel Disk OS signaled that it was now Midori's turn once again. She drew calmly and added the card to her hand. Briefly, the woman gazed analytically over the current field, finding that virtually everything was now in her favor.

"I'm going to end this Duel now," she stated to them from the shadows. "I activate the special ability of Bau the Black Dog Beast, and next I will sacrifice my Castle of Dark Illusions to summon it," she paused to remove the card. The conjured shadows lifted when it disappeared, revealing her field and the Duelist.

The castle faded quickly, revealing a lanky wolf-dog. Probably flea-ridden... damned ape...

The beast growled ferally at the two other creatures opposing it. As was the default setting for it, Midori's disk made sure that the offense value were holographically rendered and presented in front of her nightmarish poodle. Heh, _poodle_... [2300/1700]

Purely metaphorically speaking (of course...), the scene slowed and faded out into shades of grey in the exact moment that Midori's hellhound was charging at Syrus' hybrid machine with murderous and hungry intent, a visual such as you could reasonably expect to see from an cartoon episode about to end.

Such was a ordinary day at Duel Academy. We hope that you enjoyed the fifth chapter.

* * *

**And that concludes the fifth chapter of this story. ****About the only thing left of this chapter would be the 'CoTD' section here, which are two of Midori's, revisions of old cards it seems.**

**. . . . . Midori Hibiki . . . . .**

**Castle of Dark Illusions | 4/DARK/Fiend/Effect | 1200/2500**

**Your field becomes enshrouded in shadows. While you control this card, you choose the attack targets for the opponent's attacks.**

**. . . . . Midori Hibiki . . . . .**

**Bau the Black Dog Beast | 4/DARK/Beast/Effect | 1800/1200**

**During your Main Phase 1 or 2, you can reveal this card in your hand until the End Phase, to activate 1 of these effects:**

**● This card's Level becomes 4, its ATK becomes 1800 and its DEF becomes 1200.  
****● This card's Level becomes 6, its ATK becomes 2300 and its DEF becomes 1700.  
****● This card's Level becomes 8, its ATK becomes 2800 and its DEF becomes 2200.**


	6. King of Copycats - Redux

_**Sorry for the few weeks of delay; bad case of writer's block struck, and this chapter was kinda a long one.  
**_

_**Scheduled (or sche**_**dueled**_**, if you would prefer the pun) for today's/tonight's entertaining, for your reading pleasure and for your eyes only, are a series of Duels between Dimitri and a few other Duel Academy students: ****Syrus Truesdale, Lenny Patricks, Alexis Rhodes and Chazz Princeton.**_

_**Merely to make seem this chapter all the more appealing, I've taken the liberty of testing out a new story format. **__**On behalf of the one-person writing staff, I hope that you enjoy the show.**_

* * *

_Time was a strange thing. _

_Linear and non-linear. Senseless and structured. Physical and metaphysical. Familiar and foreign. Subjective and objective._

RESTART

Later that same day, after several more classes had been completed - _(and really, there were a crapton of them: Warriors, Spellcasters, Beasts, Machines, ... every Duel Monsters monster type, basically. And then there were Fusions class, Ritual class, Duel Monsters History, Duel Monsters and the Paranormal, Duel Monsters Metagaming class... yeah, that was pretty much it, dudes and dudettes)_ \- a couple hundred students were assembled in the Obelisk Blue Duel Arena hall.

And this was where the structure of the narrative broke down altogether, or became a 4D weaving of words and ideas and madness; one or the other.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening one after the other.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening simultaneously.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as leading into one another in an endless cycle.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening in whatever order one cared to experience them.

From the pretty snazzy-looking entrance hall to the Obelisk Blue Duel arena walked two Duelists, one attired not in Obelisk Blue garb but primarily a black trenchcoat and other stuff, and one attired in traditional Ra Yellow garb, both with the same destination and great bloodshed (okay, maybe not) in mind.

Their identities scarcely needed to be stated; many of those who lived on the island knew of them. Sadly, Dimitri's reputation was mostly that of a sucky copycat Duelist.

Every student seated around the hall watched expectantly the pair march towards the arena. The general mood, from those who knew Dimitri personally or by repute, was a sense of disappointment, knowing that the copycat had more likely than not copied The Chazz's Deck this time.

From his second-row seat, Syrus recalled vaguely that Dimitri had been the guy who stole Yugi's Deck that one time, but little more than that; he had just kinda gotten lost in the ocean of Jaden's victories, which led him to wonder why the copycat was making these challenges all of a sudden, apart from wanting to show off withhis latest Deck- he decided that _that _was likely why.

Come to think of it, he realized despite the narration's best attempts at shutting him up- THERE!

Beside him was Chumley. The lovable lunk had few of Syrus' misgivings about the arrangement, but about ... 1.74 times more excited, such that his state of mind could be summed up as 'cool, a Duel'.

Behind them was Bastion, who was quite a bit more informed about Dimitri's issued challenges than both of the Slifers, having helped build the Deck.

In the arena, Dimitri and Chazz had just initiated the bout with a mutual declaration of "DUEL!", and drew their opening hands with rehearsed precision.

The Chazz, going first, naturally drew himself a nice new sixth card. A brief glance noted it to be Ring of Destruction, and once it was placed in his hand, it was mostly forgotten.

"Why don't we start this duel nice and easy," Chazz snarked at the copycat Duelist. "I summon my Armed Dragon LV3, in Attack Mode, and dump a pair of face-downs while I'm at it, and call it a turn. Easy enough for ya to follow, little league?"

On his field, the youthful dragon appeared, for all to admire. Tiny little wings grew out of its back, jarringly disproportionate to its lumpy body, making it questionable how it could fly, but whatever. Its body was lumpy, and grey and orange in coloration, and its eyes were a simply _ghastly _shade of yellow, evocative of nothing as much as human urine. The narration was not taking the piss, no. It had to be, but it was not. Also a pair of cards had been rendered holographically behind its butt. [1200/900]

If Dimitri took offense, either to The Chazz's disparagement or to the dragon's urine-colored eyes, it did not show on his face. "Believe me, it is," the Yugi-haired (like that was a proper noun/verb/whatever) teen replied matter-of-factly as he drew a single card.

Dimitri smiled minutely, for the card was nothing else than Mask of Boundless Darkness. "Okay, let's see how this goes: First, I'll Normal Summon my Marauding Captain," he proclaimed and placed the card carefully in its proper position on his. Duel. Disk. Yeah.

In visually perfect 3D Solid Vision, their ultra-sophisticated pieces of gaming technology made the armored warrior appear on the field of battle. Though he was not currently sentient, one might question that assertion, given how incredibly lifelike the hologram appeared. As was completely expected, the panel that indicated battlestrength also appeared. [1200/400]

Chazz glanced briefly at the Warrior, dredging up what he recalled of its stats and abilities. Jared from Ra Yellow and Masaru from Obelisk Blue both used that particular card, so was Dimitri now copying- his musings were interrupted just about then.

"But now, the Captain's special ability also lets me summon another monster, provided that its Level is 4 or below, and I think that Reflect Bounder would do nicely," Dimitri exposited to Chazz, and placed his choice of monster on the Disk's Monster Card Zone #4...

As had happened with the Marauding Captain, the Reflect Bounder was holographically rendered and sent out on the field. However, that particular creature's appearance raised but a single question: What the hell was that thing, some kind of... robot-demon mirror thing... Jinzo's long-lost cousin or something stupid like that... [1700/1000]

The Chazz blinked at the unexpected monster; nobody in Obelisk Blue (that he knew of) used both Marauding Captain and Reflect Bounder, so evidently Dimitri was copying somebody else from either Slifer or Ra, or he had actually built his own Deck-

_"That's it!" _Chazz realized suddenly, at much the same time and with much the same mental phrasing of it as Syrus and Alexis and a few dozen other spectators. _"He's built his Deck not to copy any one Duelist, but to imitate whoever he's facing. Reflect Bounder deals a crapload of damage based on what _I _hit it with... __and most likely, he's got loads of other such tricks waiting."  
_

In the few seconds that The Chazz had spent on that line of analytic thought, Dimitri had begun his battle phase. A burst of orange energy from Reflect Bounder caused him to focus on the Duel once again. The Chazz winced lightly from the destruction of his Armed Dragon, and the decrease of his Life Points. [Chazz: 3500]

"Now, Marauding Captain, attack Chazz directly," Dimitri ordered. "Sword of the Just!"

The knightly blond heeded the call without hesitation, pointing his faultless blades at The Chazz. A distinctive glow suffused the sleek metal, and a blast of light shot at the Chazz. [Chazz: 2300]

"Okay, Mister King of Copycats," The Chazz smirked, and pressed the buttons of both Spell/Trap zones. The concealed holo-cards revealed their image sides immediately after. "You've got my full and undivided attention now. I activate the Trap-Spell card, Stairway to the Underworld, and the Trap, Call of the Haunted!"

Around the mostly silent spectator crowd, a few gasps could be heard; evidently they recognized either of The Chazz's cards, and their effects.

Dimitri stared quizzically at the 'Trap-Spell' card; that particular category was outta left field. He cocked his head, reading the effect lore of that particular card. _"Activate only when you take Battle Damage from a direct attack and you do not control any monsters. Special Summon 1 each of "Gorz the Emissary of Darkness" and "Kaien the Emissary of Darkness" from your Deck..."_

Dimitri's personal train of thought suddenly came to an abrubt halt, kinda like it had fallen off a steep cliff and smack-dab into a mountain, killing the hundreds of musings that served as its passengers. Pleased with the metaphor, the lameass narration tried in vain to extend it a bit, push it around, move it upside down, and that there was it.

"... crap. crap crap _crap_. crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap," Dimitri sustained the tirade for about a minute or two at a distinctly panicky pitch, dispelling all the ambient noise in the hall.

More than a few spectators sweatdropped or facepalmed in a distinctly animesque manner at his exaggerated reaction to the three simultaneous summonings. Chazz smirked, taking a certain sadistic glee in Dimitri's reaction. Kind of a dick move there, dude...

"Heh, if you're done whining, it's about to get real good! I bid you to rise! Gorz the Emissary of Darkness! Kaien the Emissary of Darkness! Armed Dragon LV3!"

Twin masses of shapeless shadows formed on The Chazz's field. Almost as soon as they had formed, they erupted, growing into the vague shapes of humans. Quickly, the tenebrous things realigned themselves into the envoys of Hades, Gorz and Kaien.

The male of the duo was fair-skinned, and strikingly tall and lean; about six feet. An explosive mop of deep-red spiked hair jutted out of his scalp. Garbed in marine-blue leather clothing lined with silver, the swordsman had a pair of blades poking out of his wrists, and a sword of considerable stature at his disposal. [2700/2500]

The female of the duo was fair-skinned, and strikingly tall and lean; about six feet. A sharp-edged mohawk of light-purple hair jutted out of her scalp. Garbed in purple and red attire that seemed as much evocative of battle armor as of a formal dress, the swordswoman had a sword of clear steel at her disposal. [2500/2700]

A brief-lived display of white light marked the return of the childlike dragon to the land of the living Duel Monsters. [1200/900]

Dimitri, about fresh out of crap to utter, simply paled silently in realization of the impending onslaught. Quickly he steeled himself, and slid a Spell card into his apparatus. "Activate Spell, Pot of Greed!"

The holographic counterpart of the card was immediately rendered visually for all to see. Well, almost all. Those who happened to sit behind Dimitri weren't positioned to view the card. The teen simply bolstered his hand to five sweet cards, and added both Dark Mimic LV7 and Copycat to it, but he was not much encouraged by either option.

The match was concluded strongly onesidedly after that. In a quick series of moves, The Chazz had declared his victory, commemorated with almost deafening cries of 'CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP!', as was the young Princeton's catchphrase.

For the curious, the events could be summed up as:

Armed Dragon LV3 matured into her LV5 state. Armed Dragon's effect did away with Reflect Bounder, and Armed Dragon's attack did away with Marauding Captain, shaving 1200 Life Points off of Dimitri's total. Virtually defenseless before The Chazz and the Emissaries of Darkness, Gorz and Kaien reduced his Life Points all the way to nothingness, if only because they could not become a negative number.

Most disheartening of all happenings in this match was the fact that neither Dark Mimic LV7 or Burning Dragon had been able to see play.

* * *

_Time was a strange thing. _

_Linear and non-linear. Senseless and structured. Physical and metaphysical. Familiar and foreign. Subjective and objective._

RESTART

Later that same day, after several more classes had been completed - _(and really, there were a crapton of them: Warriors, Spellcasters, Beasts, Machines, ... every Duel Monsters monster type, basically. And then there were Fusions class, Ritual class, Duel Monsters History, Duel Monsters and the Paranormal, Duel Monsters Metagaming class... yeah, that was pretty much it, dudes and dudettes)_ \- a couple hundred students were assembled in the Obelisk Blue Duel Arena hall.

And this was where the structure of the narrative broke down altogether, or became a 4D weaving of words and ideas and madness; one or the other.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening one after the other.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening simultaneously.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as leading into one another in an endless cycle.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening in whatever order one cared to experience them.

"You're missing the point here, Chum," Syrus started, glancing over the progressing duel with an excited smile. Chumley stared blankly at his friend. From the seat behind, Bastion listened in. "Dimitri's taken the whole 'copying other Duelists' thing, and made it his own thing. Now, he can imitate other people's Decks on the fly, _without_ having to overhaul his entire Deck each time, and if I'm right, he's got more tricks stuffed away too."

Chumley let an 'ohhhh' escape his lips as comprehension dawned on him, as. Bastion promptly entered the conversation. But to focus on the plot-relevant holographic monster/Stand stand-in slugfest...

The Duel between Alexis and Dimitri was already well past the starting point, although it might not immediately appear the part in some ways. [Alexis: 4000] [Dimitri: 1400]

The electronic, minute humming of the Duel Disk filled the air. A determined half-smirk graced the beauteous blonde's features, and the beauteous dark-haired male's as well.

Their field of monster battle was far from empty at the current time.

Serving as the blonde's first line of defense and offense were two particular monsters. Both of these were ice-themed, to the surprise of really nobody around the, and familiar sights from her loads of Duels over the past two or three months, and fairly badass in their own rights.

One of these powerful creatures, totally like her twin-sisters-in-arms, had the appearance of a young woman, and was garbed in vaguely ice-themed apparel. Her name was Frost Sprite. [1100/700]

One of these powerful creatures was a hugeass dinosaur. Seriously, the thing was freaking huge, like twenty feet or something. Atop an elongated neck was the dino's rounded head. Its eyes were a beady orange-yellow, and a breath of chilly air escaped the super-ancient behemoth's mouth. [2600/1700]

Dimitri, on the other hand/foot/whatever, could easily be said to be faring less well in terms of field presence, as his only monster was Dark Mimic LV5. The large treasure chest contained an informally deposited crapload of glimmering golden coins, from some system of currency. [1900/1000]

"I draw," Alexis declared heatedly. A brief glance confirmed its identity to be the White Night King monster; instinctively the blonde knew that now would be a poor time to make use of him.

In that very moment, a number of thoughts coursed through her head. She hesitated momentarily to play the duel, glancing at her hand. Partly she speculated on how to proceed for the turn. Another layer/section of her mind recalled their conversation a few days with those two Celestial kids, feeling unease about what this 'power' they had mentioned might be. A different part of her attention was rather interested to know what was for lunch tonight.

She mentally shook those speculations off for now, to entertain herself with a Duel played for little more than fun... unlike, she recalled, in the six or seven of the Duel Monsters Spirit Worlds...

White Night King, Polymerization, Hallowed Life Barrier, Ice Doll Mirror. Her eyes ran over each card in rapidfire sequence. All were potent cards in the right circumstances, but not in these. Alexis was aware of that, at the periphery of her consciousness. At the forefront of her mind, a clearcut path to victory was present: "Now, Frostosaurus, fetch yourself a nice little snack! Ice Age Chomp-down!"

The gargantuan dinosaur complied obediently. Its maw lunged for the treasure chest, which did not and could not move to dodge the ravenous beast, and bit down forcefully on it. And like so, about a few hundred students were treated to the stunning sight of a dinosaur eating a treasure chest, contents and everything. Their facial expressions varied between amusement and incredulity and skepticism that was actually really happening, and about a dozen more emotional states in these conceptual directions.

Then the treasure chest exploded for little observable reason, while the Frostosaurus was nibbling away at it.

Poor creature, nobody deserved to have their meal explode for no reason, but this was not the time to express sympathy for the beast of odd dining habits... but _really_, what was the appropriate term for treasure-chest-eaters, in the vein of 'carnivore'/'herbivore'/'omnivore'/'memeovore'? That particular question merited study, but right about now there was a Duel Monsters match to focus on...

Dimitri grimaced and winced as the aftermath of that battle exacted its toll on his Life Points. [Dimitri: 700]

"Frost Sprite, put an end to this!" the blonde commanded. And then, Frost Sprite took a giant leap into the air... and stopped abrubtly on both her ascent and her descent,, so that she just kinda hung in the air. The literal ice queen smirked slightly, and extended a single finger towards Dimitri, who paled in advance. He knew what he was in for.

A sphere of white-blue glacial energies was generated and released onto Dimitri as a laser blast. In barely a second, the young girl's attack had crossed the distance between her and her target. Where the attack had struck, a layer of ice formed. Dimitri groaned theatrically as his Life Points dropped. [Dimitri: 0]

"Wow," he mumbled, seemingly more to himself than her or anyone else. Alexis glanced in his direction. "Didn't even make a scratch... guess that happens when you Duel one of the school's best, huh?"

"You're too kind," Alexis answered, with a faint smile. "Good luck with your next Duel."

A brief while later, Alexis had made her way to the docks, as had Zane. The two teens stood together in silence, peering absentmindedly over the waters, lost in their own thoughts, relishing the solitude in which to ponder, alone with their closest friend. These encounters was rather a common activity between them; that thought was buried somewhere _deep_ in the air between them, far from bubbling up to the surface of the conversation.

Midori Hibiki, who was out jogging, happened upon the brooding teens and continued on her run, seeing no reason to go talk to them. For the about 1200 people at Duel Academy, another day was nearing its end.

* * *

_Time was a strange thing. _

_Linear and non-linear. Senseless and structured. Physical and metaphysical. Familiar and foreign. Subjective and objective._

RESTART

Later that same day, after several more classes had been completed - _(and really, there were a crapton of them: Warriors, Spellcasters, Beasts, Machines, ... every Duel Monsters monster type, basically. And then there were Fusions class, Ritual class, Duel Monsters History, Duel Monsters and the Paranormal, Duel Monsters Metagaming class... yeah, that was pretty much it, dudes and dudettes)_ \- a couple hundred students were assembled in the Obelisk Blue Duel Arena hall.

And this was where the structure of the narrative broke down altogether, or became a 4D weaving of words and ideas and madness; one or the other.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening one after the other.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening simultaneously.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as leading into one another in an endless cycle.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening in whatever order one cared to experience them.

Every student seated around the hall watched, with tense expectation, the pair march towards the arena. Both halted in their strides, on opposing ends of the arena, and turned to face one another. The eyes of the taller-statured Ra Yellow met the eyes of the shorter-statured Slifer Red. It was on, and they drew five.

"I draw," the red-dressed bluenet voiced concisely, and did so, seeing it to be the Gyroid monster. Without much ado, it was added to his hand. He paused to think, a finger darting between his six cards as he examined them.

_"Any moves that I make, he can imitate, so... that means that I have to make Dimitri make the first_ _move._ ... I summon Tankroid, in Defense Mode," he announced.

As was generally the case with Syrus' doohickeys, the Tankroid was, visually speaking, a cartoonish representation of a tank, with big dotty eyes... one that wore the actual 'turret-and-driver's-seat' portion of it like some kinda backpack. The combat machine parked right in front of him, in defense of its master. [1500/1900]

He continued, "Next, one face-down card, and with that, I end my turn."

Dimitri glanced at Syrus' field, and then drew, a card which he recognized as Spider Web. His heart almost skipped a beat. This Spell was one of the few cards from the legendary Yugi's Deck that he had been fortunate enough to acquire a copy of, and he hadn't ever expected to draw it on his first turn.

He shook off the surprise, and placed it with his other cards. "I cast Brain Control on your Tankroid," he slid the Spell into his Disk. Tankroid was immediately enveloped in a green aura, and drove to Dimitri's half, while his Life Points decreased substantially. [Dimitri: 3200]

"So now, I sacrifice it," it dissolved into golden particles as he spoke, "to summon Dark Mimic LV5," he declared, and on his field appeared a treasure chest loaded to the brim with gold coins. Kinda snazzy looking chest, too. It had these little markings on the sides, but that wasn't much important. [1900/1000]

From the sidelines, The Chazz eyed the creature disapprovingly, while a few others recalled vaguely the other five Elemental Level Monster lines besides Dark Mimic, at the sight of the treasure chest.

"But since Tankroid just went to the Graveyard," Syrus exposited and Dimitri simply responded with casual silence as a kind of answer. "I get to draw a card."

Syrus did so and glanced briefly at Satelliteroid.

Dimitri wasn't much worried about whatever it was that Syrus had drawn, because from what he could see, about him placing Tankroid in Defense Mode, Syrus had arrived at the wrong conclusion about what sort of Deck he was facing; one that hinged purely on copying the opponent.

_"Ooooh, he's gonna regret that... _Dark Mimic, attack with Avarice Devourer," Dimitri commanded. As soon as Dimitri had commanded that, the eyes on its lid began to glow, before Dimitri heard something that he didn't quite catch and it abrubtly detonated violently.

On the other side of the field, Dimitri saw a Trap Card - Ring of Life, he recognized it as - Solid Vision rendering momentarily before it disappeared.

"Now, we both gain Life Points equal to its Defense Points," Syrus continued, holding out the card, not realizing that Dimitri hadn't entirely heard him. As the card was moved into his graveyard, their Life Points were raised, precisely as he'd said they would. [Syrus: 5000] [Dimitri: 4200]

Dimitri, too, could be seen to put his card into his graveyard, before placing another one face-down and declaring the end of his turn. Syrus drew his card for that turn. Way to go, guys, you did great, now you could consider stopping.

To the Slifer's joy, the drawn card was Steamroid. A quick glance at that card, and his Gyroid, and his Power Bond, and Dimitri's wide-open field, collectively served to establish two facts about the Slifer Red in question.

Fact number one was that he was fairly certain that he would be able to dole out a One Turn Kill to Dimitri. Fact number two was that he was fairly unwilling to cooperate with the narration.

_"You're right about that, narrator-person, because the Syrus spin-off show is about to get real," _Syrus addressed the narration itself, which/who promptly soiled itself at that statement, realizing with horror that Syrus Truesdale had to be something altogether different and stranger than a human being, and resolved to get as far away from him as possible. "I activate the Spell card, Power Bond, fusing together Steamroid and Gyroid!"

In front of the Slifer appeared both the cartoonish forms of both train and helicopter, and then a blast of solidified white energies engulfed them both. The luminant sphere died down as quickly as it had appeared, revealing their merged form: A machine largely in the shape of a train, save for the addition of helicopter blades around its midriff, two of which served as its arms and two of which served as mere decorations. [4400/1600]

The Ra Yellow dude paled and somewhat lost control of his facial musculature, leaving his mouth agape before the silly-looking thing's staggering attack power. It seemed without mercy in its attack, obliterating every single one of Dimitri's Life Points. [Dimitri: 0]

* * *

_Time was a strange thing. _

_Linear and non-linear. Senseless and structured. Physical and metaphysical. Familiar and foreign. Subjective and objective._

RESTART

Later that same day, after several more classes had been completed - _(and really, there were a crapton of them: Warriors, Spellcasters, Beasts, Machines, ... every Duel Monsters monster type, basically. And then there were Fusions class, Ritual class, Duel Monsters History, Duel Monsters and the Paranormal, Duel Monsters Metagaming class... yeah, that was pretty much it, dudes and dudettes)_ \- a couple hundred students were assembled in the Obelisk Blue Duel Arena hall.

And this was where the structure of the narrative broke down altogether, or became a 4D weaving of words and ideas and madness; one or the other.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening one after the other.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening simultaneously.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as leading into one another in an endless cycle.

Dimitri Kagurazaka's four Duel Monsters matches that day could be understood as happening in whatever order one cared to experience them.

The Duel had already begun, and had been going for eight minutes or so.

Almost none of the yellow-garbed students were surprised to see Lenny use his preferred strategy, the Royal Knight Brigade - three knights in silvery armor, side by side, each sporting their mutually heightened ATK/DEF values of 2500, were currently all that he fielded.

Dimitri and his side, however, was less rich on monsters and sheer Attack Points, yet was at the same time more powerful, for his only monster was the LV7 form of Dark Mimic: a hugeass treasure chest with the Golden Castle of Stromberg resting safely inside. [2800/1000]

... [Dimitri: 3200] [Lenny: 1200] ... one could infer that Dimitri had some manner of upper hand, because that didn't look right for a relatively even-sided match.

Lenny growled in frustration as he drew - his seventh Royal Knight Brigade card that Duel - and Dimitri drew another two cards as well. Lenny knew that the situation was hopeless. Ever since Dimitri had gotten that Dark Mimic LV7 thing out, its effect had given him _way_ too many cards for him to keep up, and given how it held more attack points than he knew that he could match, he knew that he was beaten.

"Yeah, I'm giving up," he sighed. He placed his hand on his Deck to signify his official surrender, and then pressed the red orb on his gear. The hologram faded away quickly.

A smirk blossomed on Dimitri's face. "In your face, Lenny!"

* * *

_**Well, that concludes this rewrite's reimagining of the King of Copycats episodes. I realize full well that this is a drastic departure from how GX canon displayed the particular event. **_

_**However, I felt it preferable to mix it up rather than recount the episodes word-for-word, and thereby avert the Stations Of The Canon Trope (as TvTropes called it circa 03/02/2015). Also to make Dimitri Take a Level In Badass, by constructing a new deck of his own. If I can manage it, there's going to be further appearances from Dimitri over the course of this story.**_

_**With that, I believe it is time for this chapter's CoTD section.**_

* * *

_**Gorz the Emissary of Darkness | 7/DARK/Fiend/Effect | 2700/2500  
You cannot include more than 1 "Kaien the Emissary of Darkness" in your Deck. When you take battle damage from a direct attack and do not control any monsters, you can Special Summon this card and 1 "Gorz the Emissary of Darkness" from your hand. You must have no cards on the field to activate this effect.  
**_

**_Kaien the Emissary of Darkness | 7/DARK/Fiend/Effect | 2500/2700  
_****_You cannot include more than 1 "Gorz the Emissary of Darkness" in your Deck. When you take battle damage from a direct attack and do not control any monsters, you can Special Summon this card and 1 "Kaien the Emissary of Darkness" from your graveyard. You must have no cards on the field to activate this effect._**

**_Stairway to the Underworld | Normal Trap-Spell  
_****_Activate only when you take Battle Damage from a direct attack and you do not control any monsters. Special Summon 1 each of "Gorz the Emissary of Darkness" and "Kaien the Emissary of Darkness" from your Deck._**

_**Frost Sprite | 4/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect | 1100/700  
**__**Your opponent cannot activate or apply the effects of Monsters on the turn that they are summoned.**_

**_White Night King | 7/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect | 2100/800  
_****_Cannot be Special Summoned. Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up card on the field; destroy that target._**

**_Dark Mimic LV5 | _****_5/DARK/Fiend/Effect | 1900/1000  
_****_During your opponent's Draw Phases, draw 1 card._**

**_Dark Mimic LV7 | 7/DARK/Fiend/Effect | 2800/1000  
_****_This card must be Normal Summoned by tributing "Dark Mimic LV5" and cannot be summoned by other ways (this restriction applies even to cards and/or effects that say to ignore the summoning conditions). During your opponent's Draw Phases, draw 2 cards. During your Draw Phases, draw 1 additional card._**


	7. Actual Deviation From Canon

**Firstly, I would like that the excessively metafictional title be pardoned; normally I would not be so blunt with the chapter naming, but current circumstances dictated such.**

**Secondly, since a second-stringer from GX featured so prominently in a chapter which was well-received by the sole reviewer, let's see if I can pull the same trick twice in a row. Probably not, but worth a shot.**

**Apart from that, I won't delay you any further. For the current chapter, the reader is treated to this rewrite's first Shadow Rider encounter, before the actual Shadow Riders arc has begun. **

**His identity? Evil HERO Malicious, in case anyone forgot or didn't catch the memo.**

**His adversaries? Jasmine and Mindy, supporting characters who just sorta disappeared into the aether (oh yeah, like I'm the first to notice or comment on this) after the first season.**

**_What_ could go wrong?**

* * *

In a nebulously established 'somewhere', a fortune teller by the name of Sartorius felt uneasy, in part what he felt: A terrible disturbance in the weaving of destiny itself. Something on Duel Academy Island was causing the weave to shatter under its newfound weight. The humans residing on that island were being robbed of their predetermined fates, their guaranteed joys and sadnesses and triumphs and losses alike all snatched away, with them being none the wiser.

Laid before the human were three cards from the Tarot deck- er, that was, the 'Rider-Waite' Deck of Major Arcana, not the Duel Monsters Deck superficially based on the Major Arcana, and oddly enough, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. One wondered why Peggie had given that particular card an ability comparable to the power of Dio's Stand: ... no. _That_ particular Internet meme would most certainly not be pulled off.

On the left of this three-card spread was a card that depicted an aged king, the fourth in the series of Major Arcana, The Emperor. In essence, it indicated stability and structure, the Status Quo, and its position indicated that to be the past.

In the middle of this hallowed three-card spread was a card that depicted animals howling at a golden moon, the eighteenth in the series, The Moon. In essence, it indicated vagueness and illusory things.

On the right of this three-card spread was a card that depicted a skeleton in knight's armor, mounted on a white horse, carrying a flag, the thirteenth, Death. In essence, the card indicated great change, though not, in contrast with its name, actual death.

Amid the quietude, the human was left to dwell on it, and it seemed that the narration was not privy to his thoughts on the matter. No matter.

It was almost humorous that he worried about a force capable of altering fate and the course of history at a whim, for in the universe directly preceding the one in which he existed, he and several others had become possessed by a malignant cosmic force called the Light of Destruction. In this iteration of that universe, the white hole which had birthed the Light of Destruction anew into this universe had popped up in adistant galaxy, one located a good deal away from earth's galactic super-cluster-####. Now _that _was a big whup.

It was somewhat intriguing, given the evil light's existence, that some of humanity's cultures equated light with goodness, and conversely, darkness with evil, when in fact, other human cultures presented the issue as being the exact inverse, associating thematically 'dark' elements not with evil but with flawed and/or less flawed forms of goodness, such as the various deities of death, Hades and Anubis and Hel, and all that hogwash.

But let us, for a moment, depart the company, of both the charming fellow and such meandering speculations - seriously, from the finer meanings of Tarot cards, to interstellar astronomy, and just to finish off, a brief lecture in mythology and morality...

Quite a distance away, but still on the same planet in the very same dimension, across the vast bodies of water that the human race had, at some point and somewhat arbitrarily, dubbed an 'ocean', there was a single island, known quite well across the globe: Central Academy.

It had so far been quite an ordinary Duel Monsters History class, vague statement though it was. In practice, it amounted to: A: No inexplicable explosions like in Duel Alchemy Class, B: No transdimensional monstrosities from alien realms beyond human life or dimension-spanning armies invading, C: Nothing that counted as 'kinda weird' on the common scale of event mundanity, never codified in April 1988 on this universe's planet Earth.

Vellian glanced around the room, checking that they were actually paying attention; in Mickey's case, that had been a problem, he recalled. To his satisfaction, the Slifer seemed attentive, or attentive enough.

"Alright class, let's move on, and I believe that several of you might find this particular question interesting," he addressed the classroom. Almost to the extent that it became a palpable sensation, the collective attention of the students were roused by his statement. "Firstly, can somebody explain to us what a 'Dark Magician Derivative' is?"

A thin veneer of silence seemed to coat the entirety of the room, an Obelisk Blue dudette named Gwen observed, feeling rather in a poetic mood. The raven-haired sixteen-year-old saw that around the classroom, three students rose to answer the question.

"Now, Thomas," the lanky-built department chair glanced in the heavyset Ra's direction. The teen swallowed nervously, immediately regretting having gotten up. "Why don't you give the class an explanation?"

"Un, well..." the red-haired male began apprehensively. In the background as relative to him, Alexis and Bastion sat back down. "I've never really been the best at explanations and that stuff, but isn't a 'Dark Magician Derivative' just what all those cards based on, no wait I mean, ... um... _inspired_ by Yugi Muto's ace card are called as a group?"

Somewhat hurriedly, Thomas retook his seated position after having answered. In the collective unconsciousness of the bunch of teens gathered in the room, the relevant information was collected, and shuffled away for future examination.

"Quite correct," Vellian commended. "The Dark Magician earned a unique status among the thousand of Monsters in the Duel Monsters card pool, and is virtually the most famous card ever made. Many Duelists who aspire to follow in Yugi's footsteps generally use one of the currently 100 or so monsters produced in the vein of the Dark Magician, as the core card of their Deck, series or archetype. Now, could I receive the names of... shall we say, 25 of these derivates?"

Quickly, the general mood in the student-occupied section of the classroom became one of quiet contemplation. More than a few leaned back in their seats, wracking their brains for less obvious ones than the Elemental HEROes, Shining Flare Wingman and Terra Firma. While they did, Crowler attended to the desk's computer.

"Here's one for your little list, Professor Crowler," the currently blue-garbed Obelisk Blue smirked for all to see. Chazz was holding out his Dragon... his Burning Dragon, not his Armed Dragon, just to clarify a potential innuendo.

Crowler's fingers promptly raced across the jet-black glass panel, pressing lightly the rendered letters on it, and on the screen in the wall that seemed standard equipment for D-A's classrooms, there appeared an up-sized image of the Burning Dragon card.

From another row of desks, some Ra Yellow dude looked in Chazz's direction, and more specifically, at Chazz himself. Jack couldn't place or explain it, but there was something about Mister Princeton that... distracted him from the class, just from the other teen's presence. Nobody else took much note of his ambiguous feeling of unease, because how could they know?

Another student rose, a blonde-haired Obelisk Blue. Though the description could apply to more than one individual, it was in fact _not_ Alexis Rhodes. "Well, I've seen Miss Rhodes use Ice Master and Glacial Queen a few times, they both have 2500 Attack Points, so they count, don't they?" the bespectacled blonde suggested, with traces of nervousness at the far outskirts of her tone-of-voice, if it made conventional sense to apply geographical mapping to speech.

"Very good," the Department Chair of Techniques replied to her. With a single, relieved sigh, the blonde nervous wreck sat back down, not at all cool and composed.

"Does anybody else have any cards to name? Hm?" Professor Crowler queried his class. Contemplative silence filled the room with a few kilotons of the metaphorical substance.

A few of the red-garbed maler Slifers began to consider his query, as did several others, dressed varyingly in yellow and blue.

From the second desk of the third row rose a nebbishly-looking guy in red who name was Rick, who firmly believed himself the greatest Duelist of all time, yet had not the track record to back it up. "Great Shogun Shien, Reign-Beaux Overlord of the Dark World, and D.3.S Frog, yo," he stated confidently, and gave a V-sign.

With those names supplied, Crowler quickly moved to get the cards on the screen above his head. This raised the total number of Dark Magician wannabes to... one moment, please... Burning Dragon was number 01, Ice Master and Glacial Queen were 02 &amp; 03, so this legitimately doubled the number. Sweetness. Nineteen to go.

Silence befell the classroom. It was a pensive sort, thick with the ambient hum just-beyond-one's-field-of-hearing of students collectively wracking their brains to come up with nineteen more names.

The field of collective unconsciousness generated by the students came metaphysically online in a second, inhabiting a plane of reality beyond human sight. Through the non-spatial fields of consciousness generated by little more than human brains walked a transdimensional entity. That being was Atem, son of Aknamkanon, Pharaoh of Egypt, one who had joined the illustrious group termed the Guardians of the Multiverse by the Signers in the next universe over. Apparently they did stuff apart from annoy a bunch of high school students... who knew?

For the record, the exact monsters that the students namedropped in about five minutes were: _Hyper Revival Jam (07) - Royal Knight Brigade General (08) - Guardian Eatos (09) - Elemental HERO Terra Firma (10) - Elemental HERO Shining Flare Wingman (11) - Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer (12) - Vision HERO Trinity (13) - Evigishki Mind Augus (14) - Garlandolf, King of Destruction (15) - King of the Beasts (16) - Sorcerer of Illusions (17) - Angel of Conquest (18) - The Ruler of Wind (19) - The Ruler of Fire (20) - The Ruler of Earth (21) - The Ruler of Water (22) - Spirit of the Pharaoh (23) - Mythic Dragon-Knight (24) - Machina Fortress (25)_

Phew, it was finally over. Greatest narrative visuals of all time, the narration mocked itself: None finer. Of course, the same went for the readers. They were awesome like that...

But let us now depart the company of the present time and the local area, and just sorta fast-forward through the next few days, to a certain point in this particular timeline of the multiverse... ahem...

All was well on Duel Academy Island. Yeah, that was the lie of the century, or might seem that way. Still, it was actually true.

A few days had gone by since Dimitri Kagurazaka had issued challenges to a literal handful of Duelists that he had heard to be exceptionally talented at Dueling, and indeed they were; the faculty's listing of the School's top fifty currently included both Syrus, The Chazz, Alexis and forty-seven others whose identities were best kept concealed for the moment, out of respect for their privacy.

Around the island, life had gone on, and many had found their own forms of entertainment that evening.

In the Slifer Red dormitory, the fifty or so students made merry, with chatting, and the company of friends, and the occasional Duel.

In the Ra Yellow dormitory, a few hundred students hung out in loads of individual social circles, with the odd individual drifting between more than one. As was relatively apparent, Duels were infrequently done.

In the Obelisk Blue female dormitory, the mood was considerably less jovial, in large part due to... hell, there was no way to really sugarcoat it... the periods of several of them. Their individual reactions varied wildly in both nature and intensity, but a downcast atmosphere loomed over that dorm all the same, among both those whose menstrual phases were on that day, and among these who counted themselves as lucky to not experience it yet.

In the Obelisk Blue male dormitory, however, another hundred students were experiencing an almost disproportionately chipper mood, enjoying themselves with both watching and partaking in Duels.

Elsewhere, over in the central building, a number of people found ways to amuse themselves.

In Professor Crowler's office, Vellian was doing a casual reading of the Doctor Who novel, The Gallifrey Chronicles, while his Duel Disk was plugged in to recharge for the night. What he read unnerved him greatly. The Department Chair of Duel Monsters Techniques drew parallels between the Doctor's Matrix-induced amnesia and their own sets of conflicting memories.

In Professor Hibiki's office, silence reigned supreme, for Midori was currently off on another mission/adventure, in a dimension known as the Dominion of the Beasts. Why she was there was a good question, and a story for another day, perhaps, or perhaps not.

In a Test Duel room, Chazz and Alexis were pitting themselves (and of course, their monsters: Burning Dragon &amp; Glacial Queen) against a series against virtual opponents in a series of Tag Duels, both renditions of other students and of various Structure Decks. The system had been set at Level 5, which gave the AI a slew of advantages, but yet they... well, they were managing not to lose... [Chazz &amp; Alexis: 1200] [Computer: 13,000]

Elsewhere still, in the forests outside that spanned great swathes of the island, there were only a few people walking about.

One of these was apparently ... my egyptian gods, his abs were _astounding. _Also, he was buck-naked, and kinda dirty all over, and his hair was shaggy and unkempt, and his body stank almost like a decayed corpse, but his _abs_ were amazing. On the whole, however, this man was deeply unattractive in appearance. This, then, was the jungleman whose existence was merely a rumor, and he was on the hunt for his food.

Elsewhere in the forest, a couple of Ra Yellow students were cautiously moving around, carrying flashlights and cameras. They were on the look-out for the rumored jungleman who was on the hunt for his food. There might be a problem (or a few) heading their way, but it was perhaps best not to dwell on that...

Elsewhere still in that bloody large forest were a pair of Obelisk Blue girls, sleeping in tents deep in the forest, gazing up at the stars and constellations in the obsidian some they might be familiar, to some they might not.

They appeared much the same in certain ways; moderately developed feminine figures, lean and perhaps athletic. Decidedly attractive, but then, most people at the Academy were. One's hair was hued cinnamon, one's hair was hued a dull raven-black; both hairstyles were neat and forceful and arranged in bangs.

Their names were Jasmine and Mindy, and for today, a page of their stories would be told.

For the most part, the girls had just hung out, thinking to themselves, and gazing at stars, and talking about guys they were cute. At the moment, however, the focus of Jasmine's musings were her place at the school.

She knew what most people thought about her, that she and Mindy were just "those girls who hung around Alexis a lot" or "Alexis' tag-alongs, her groupies", but they weren't even _that _anymore.

She didn't really get it, but Alexis had new friends now; Chazz, and the Slifer, and Professor Crowler. That was what weirded her out the most, because what was going on with them? If one of them was her new boyfriend, and she was just caught up in the experience of that, she could understand, but that didn't sound much like Lex.

In the past three months since she and Mindy and Lex came to the Academy, she had been acting weird. Chazz wasn't as much of an cocky ass anymore. Crowler was... surprisingly the very image of a nurturing teacher all of a sudden. She hung out with a freaking _S__lifer _more than them now.

She didn't get it in the least - just _what_ had changed them?

Her musings continued onward, into ideas that she had explored before, and probably would again.

She knew that she wasn't anything special - just a student with a Spellcaster Deck, a name on a list of about thirty, and those were the ones she knew about; she had no claim to fame around the school, not like Alexis, or Seika, or Zane, or Chazz, or Masaru, or Duncan, or Atticus, or Susan, or any of the big names on campus.

Contrary to popular belief around the school, she was fine with that, mostly, though there _were_ times where Alexis was just... frustratingly and unbelievably awesome.

She was beautiful most of the time, but never had to work for it. She was a talented Duelist who seemed almost born with a gift for the game, and a Deck powerful enough to match that skill. She was kind, and thoughtful, and funny, and sarcastic, and competitive, and she swore that the girl was asexual, or something in that category. Overall, an awesome person, her best friend, like the older sister she never had.

That, all of that, was why she was fine with occasionally being overshadowed by her - because one day, she was gonna be every bit as cool as Lexy was, the one enjoying the spotlight for a change. A beaming grin formed on her face at the thought.

Beside, what was a bit of (_probably_ unintentional) attention-hogging between friends?

Unseen and unheard by all, and unfelt by almost all, around the entirety of the Academy were the presences of the two Celestial brats, Leo and Luna, surveying the campus, and the humans who mutually held the power of the Gentle Darkness, monitoring for any signs of the ancient force.

From somewhere, the female posthuman intelligence observed something. It wasn't as fascinating as the Gentle Darkness incarnating in five humans, not remotely so, but it might do for a laugh. The metaphysical entities shifted position, to where a pair of teenage girls were camping.

Outside, there was a sudden flash of light, or more accurately, a globule floating in the air and illuminating the area, interrupting a conversation which had lasted an hour. _(Though the narration _wanted _to put some s__narky commentary right about here, it couldn't be arsed to do so - oh, wait, we were back in business)_

With an ease that verged on absurd was it that the very fabric of space itself was made the playthings of these crazy kids, and this was where it got sorta complicated: See, human languages weren't much intended to convey multi-dimensional concepts. It was for that reason temporal mechanics was hell on the tenses. So, it should come as no surprise that the narration here became kinda weird from trying to convey what happened next looked like.

Around the region of local space which the tent existed, potent and strange forces were exerted upon the fabric of the universe, lacking any sort of physical manifestation, ripping open the deeper layers - the 'membranes' that separated the twelve dimensions from one another - of the universe, causing a lot of tiny little disruptions in the spacetime continuum

Inside the tent reigned panic, as Jas and Min struggled to hold on to whatever hard surfaces there was in their respective compartment for the duration of their unknowingly inter-dimensional journey, thoroughly disoriented by the transition.

In that instant, their tent passed through the space between the twelve dimensions, a swirling vortex of psychedelic colors - at least the Different Dimension Gate card had gotten that part right... - a realm outside of normal time and space and yet within those dimensions; as was said, multi-dimensional concepts and areas made more often than not little sense.

Then, the tent and its occupants came to a dead stop, deep within one of the Spirit World dimensions, the one known as the Dominion of the Beasts.

Jas &amp; Min got up, looking around. Their surroundings were a muted white emptiness; that was the best that Jasmine could think of, off the top of her head. Neither had any freaking clue what was going on.

Jasmine felt strongly reminded of that time she got taken hostage by a chimpanzee. _"Why is it always me who's the damsel in distress I hate this," _she thought, her mental process fraught with anxiety.

"Allow me to explain the situation," said a voice from nowhere, one that simply. Into their field of vision drifted something really weird looking, fading into reality. Both teens saw a cloud, made up of shades of green, float on the whitish backdrop, staring blankly and incredulously at the alien being - it _had _to be an alien, Mindy decided &amp; hoped, because meeting an alien would be hella cool.

"I summoned you both because you are needed in this dimension to combat a great evil," the viridian mist boomed at them.

That cleared up exactly nothing for Jasmine. The brunette was still too disoriented by the rapid-fire turn of events to really pay attention.

A giddy smile grew on Mindy's face, however: If reading The Hero With 1000 Faces had taught her anything, it was to recognize the Call to Adventure on sight. "I'm _s__o _in!" she announced excitedly. However, her glee was dulled substantially when she noticed the look of shock on the brunette's face. "What?"

Jasmine glanced briefly at the strange stranger, before focusing on the raven-haired chick. "Mindy, this is a terrible idea, did that even occur to. You're signing up for an unspecified job against an unspecified bad guy, and you're doing it because just, I mean, just because some floating abstract painting told you to and-Iwannagohome."

Absently folding her arms, Mindy considered that for a wee bit. Jas was right, she decided, and turned to whatever that weird mishmash of greens was. "Mind giving a better explanation? Because _nuh-uh,_" she wagged a finger, "am I doing this without one."

The abstract-painting-creature stared without eyes, the hues of it oscillating between bright and dark greens. _"Oh well,"_ it decided. Perhaps some form of the truth would be the best means of persuading these humans.

"As you wish," it informed. "The being I am asking you to fight is called Evil HERO Malicious Edge. He is currently in a dimension known as the Dominion of the Beasts, and is a member of a group known as the Shadow Riders. I believe that the group's goal could endanger both this dimension and your homeworld, and have brought you two here to safeguard both worlds. I hope that this answers your questions satisfactorily, and that I was sufficiently succinct about explaining the matter."

Mindy nodded her assent. Jasmine was still somewhat wary.

"I've honestly still got a few questions about this," said the brunette. "1; why did you pick me and Mindy? 2; what's the Dominion of the Beasts? 3; how're we even supposed to fight anyone, we don't know karate."

The sounds of the words she spoke faded into the white void around them, snuffed out in almost a second. Mindy took a step back, shifting her attention between both.

The creature-that-was-not-a-creature's colors shifted, brightening and darkening for a moment. Finally, its reply came. "You are wise to be cautious," it praised.

"To answer the first of your questions, I believe that 'why _not _you' would be an equally valid question to ask," it answered. Jasmine and Mindy shrugged almost simultaneously; they had sorta expected the cryptic answer.

"To answer the second of your questions, the Dominion of the Beasts is a dimension parallel to the one where the planet earth exists," it exposited to them. "In this world lives many creatures that you know as Duel Monsters: The Aliens, out in space, the Neo Spacians, on the other planetary bodies of this solar system, the Elemental Heroes on this alternate earth, and many others."

Simultaneously, their eyes widened in disbelief. The girls were silent for a moment, taking in that information.

"To answer the third of your questions, I ask of you to fight the Shadow Rider with your skill in Dueling, not with fisticuffs," the colorful entity conveyed to them. Shock was promptly etched all over their faces.

"Duel this guy?" Jasmine echoed. "We're gonna Duel this guy?" she reiterated. "How does a guy from another dimension knows how to Duel?"

"Indeed, he does," the weird-as-balls-looking transdimensional creature chuckled goodnaturedly. "It may or may not surprise you to hear, but Duel Monsters is far older than the game that Maximillion Pegasus created."

Silence reigned as the two took that in. It honestly didn't, for the idea was far from foreign; they knew vaguely of a Doctor Hawkins who theorized that it was almost ten thousand years old, dating back to the time of Atlantis, and it was common knowledge, even if many were skeptical, that Yugi himself had hosted an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh in his Millennium Puzzle, and that they had saved both their world and all humanity from the Great Leviathan ten years ago - but one reason Yugi Muto was a hero and a legend.

"Okay, let's get to it," Mindy voiced cheerfully, and turned, with the intent of fetching their Duel Disks and Decks from their tent.

"Wait," the manifestation of colors interrupted her mid-stride. "I would be honored if one of you would do me the use this Deck for this Duel."

The girls saw, from within the green mists that comprised him, a stack of Duel Monster cards float, like it was nobody's business go frick yourself assclown.

Mindy reached out and grabbed it. Jasmine leaned in to get a good look as she shuffled through them.

It was a run-of-the-mill Elemental HERO build; three each of Avian, Burstinatrix, Clayman, Sparkman and Bubbleman, and two of E - Emergency Call, for consistency. It packed some Spell/Trap destruction too; Breaker and Anteatereatingant. Brutal, Jasmine mused, but handy.

However, the Fusions were what really took them by surprise: They were from an archetype called Evil HEROes. They thought nothing much of it, because seeing unfamiliar cards was only natural.

Mindy inspected each Evil HERO briefly; they looked kinda creepy, and sorta demonic, which came as no surprise, given that they were Fiends. Most of them were familiar, however. A lot; they were based on eleven of the Elemental HERO Fusions. They weren't all that surprised by _that - _upgraded counterparts to monsters were rare, but sometimes made; the brunette herself used two of them.

In particular, the evil twin of Shining Flare Wingman held her interest. The card's image differed greatly from the Elemental HERO's: Black armor with blood-red markings had replaced the silver and gold, and the wings were coated in raven feathers.

_Evil HERO Supreme Inferno Wing, _she read off the top of the card. The differences were more than cosmetic, but the statistics were the same - this HERO got 500 extra ATK per dead Evil Hero, and its attacks were unstoppable.

_"Cool, a card better than Glacial Queen and Burning Dragon," _was her sole giddy thought. She decided right then and there that she was keeping this Deck. An excited smile grew on her face at the thought of the things she could do with it;

"Thanks, I'll make you proud," Mindy promised to the WTF-looking stranger, giving a mild bow. To Jasmine, she shrugged, "You don't mind, right?", and got an answer in the positive.

"Well, let's get to it," the green-conglomerate was told.

Far from where they were, Leo and Luna focused rudimentarily. A section of their telepathic illusion faded.

The Academy students' surroundings shifted in a heartbeat, taking on both colors and shapes. The blank white was replaced with blue sky, and a meadow littered with rubble and ruins, and the occasional smattering of blood.

A gasp and breathless silence was the extent of their reaction. Both scanned the area, uneasily, unsure of what had happened to cause this. It looked like a war had gone on here, or something else just as awful. Was this really where the Duel Monsters lived?

Apart from that, Jasmine was a bit surprised by how... _normal _and pretty it looked, beyond the signs of warfare.

Nearby, relatively, in a direction that Jasmine decided to be west like Key West of the Florida Keys, she saw ... a guy in leather. For some reason, his outfit also had a pair of blades or maybe wings sticking out of his back.

The Evil HERO gave his home another brief glance, half-hoping that denial of reality would somehow change it.

It didn't.

His masters were gone, like they had never existed, and perhaps they hadn't; he knew enough about Chaos Magic to know that it was unspeakably dangerous, but he had thought them the masters of Chaos Magic.

It was, after all, in their names: Dark Magician of Chaos, Dark Magician Girl of Chaos - Rulers of the Power of Chaos. But alas, they hadn't learnt the craft well enough to stave off their destruction by the very force they thought themself to master, and their folly had taken his battlemates with them.

With a mask of sorrow marring his features, he inhaled nasally, and sighed. What was actually left for him in this dimension? A legacy of distorting reality as he willed it? A responsibility to wield the paradox-force that would someday be his undoing?

"No, he spoke aloud. "Fate _must_ wish other-" he found himself suddenly interrupted by a feminine shout of 'HEY!', and turned in the direction of the statement. To surprise, he laid eyes on what seemed to be a pair of humans. If not, then some Warrior or Spellcaster, they looked human enough. He decided that the latter was more likely; apart from the Wielder of the Jashin, and his existence was but a rumor, no human could travel between dimensions.

What he did not know was that at that moment, three other such humans were sitting atop a hill not too far way, watching those three.

"Let's Duel," one of the girls demanded of him. Both brandished Duel Disks, of a model unfamiliar to him. "You and us!"

He inspected them briefly, before giving his answer. His lips curled upwards beneath his mask; their timing was most assuredly fortuitous.

"I accept your challenge," he replied neutrally, his voice carrying clear across the distance between them.

His Duel Disk materialized magically on his arm, a model similar to theirs, but violet, and with sharpened edges. A single declaration of 'DUEL!' from Mindy kicked it off. [Mindy &amp; Jasmine: 4000] [Malicious Edge: 8000]

In short order and with practiced precision, the three beings drew five cards, while a good distance away, three others served as an unseen audience. Jasmine frowned in distinct displeasure when she noticed their opponent's Life Point at his cards, the Shadow Rider devised a strategy for this bout. "I shall commence this Duel," he barked at them, and drew. Mirthlessly, he observed the female Elemental HERO he had drawn.

"And my first act shall be the summoning of the Elemental HERO who commands water," he announced, already sounding bored. In a splash of water from seemingly nowhere, the HERO emerged onto the field. "And with his emergence onto my empty field, I can now draw two additional cards at no cost.

He did so, and observed those cards to be Axe of Despair and Avian. The Dueling Duel Monster quickly decided to use Abyssal Terror to dispose of them. "I now activate Dark Fusion, melding Bubbleman and Avian together, into the instrument of your undoing!"

A second later, the Spell emerged onto the field, suspended in the air in front of the Evil HERO, image and lore displayed for all to two Elemental HEROes appeared before it, before they both were absorbed by a dark-blue Fusion vortex, drawing them into the Spell itself, to meet whatever being or force or fate dwelt within.

A spiral of bright blue hellfire emerged into their place, and a second later, the Evil HERO that was born broke free of his fiery cocoon. Both Jasmine and Mindy beheld the demonic creature then, the evil counterpart to Elemental HERO Mariner.

Physically, this one appeared much the same - a muscular, light-green bod, an anchor-on-a-chain wrapped around the right arm. However, the differences were plain to see: His left arm was not made of flesh or steel, but colorless water. [1400/1000]

Mindy grimaced, remembering its effect: Abyssal Terror could attack directly during their turn too, which was gonna be a problem.

Malicious slid the expended cards where they belonged before continuing, and held up a Spell. "Next, I heighten his strength with _this,_ my Axe of Despair," the Duel Monster announced.

Abyssal Terror's fleshy appendage began to mutate from the arcane forces it was subjected to, brown-red veiny flesh appearing as his own flesh tried at once to resist the transformation and embrace it. In that brief-lived struggle, the forces of sorcery won out over the forces of biology, and the blade of an axe grew out of his hand. All the while, the Evil HERO of the deep reacted not in the least. [1400/1000 → 2400/1000]

Mindy felt at once disgusted and excited: Disgusted, because _that_ was _really_ _**really **_gross, excited, because she was going to do pretty much the same thing. Great minds thought alike, the Obelisk Blue girl mused.

"I will conclude my turn in this fashion," the Fiend informed them. A single breath later, the interlocked devices made it known that Mindy's turn was in session, by way of the machinery moving a card out for her to draw. She took it, and examined it for a second.

_"Cyclone Wing," _she noted. _"With this," _she paused to survey her hand, _"I can take out that Axe of Despair, but I have to make the attack fast, before he can make his... _"I activate Dark Fusion," she announced. Malicious Edge was visibly shocked.

Behind Mindy, a new form of space opened up, one that was hued various shades of black and blue, like the sky at night. Something that was equal parts matter and energy and something altogether third formed within the void she had conjured up. "Now I can fuse Burstinatrix and Bubbleman to summon an Evil HERO of my own!"

The named duo appeared, for an instant, before they were drawn into depths of the Fusion vortex, distorted and blurred beyond all recognition, existing barely as an afterimage. Another spiral of blue hellfire emerged, and with it, a new breed of demon, straight out of Hell's fifth circle.

Quite like her good counterpart, this HERO was armored in purple and red metals. However, where Steam Healer's suit was technological in nature, Inferno Stream's coating was more like that of a medieval knight, arranged in a few layers and many individual sections of plate armor. Left exposed were only her hands, and around those open hands were manifestations of the two elements, flame and water, that she commanded. [1800/1000]

"If ya liked that, then try this on for size!" Mindy continued, flashing him a Spell card. "Here comes Cyclone Wing, straight onta Inferno Stream!"

The Evil HERO glanced back, moving her head minutely, glaring at Mindy out of the corner of her eye. The Duel Monster saw a set of wings with a pair of fans become attached to her back.

Malicious Edge was almost speechless. Whoever that girl was, she was most certainly capable of unleashing the brute strength of the Evil HEROes, but her skill left much to be desired. Judging from her attire, she was a student at that Duel Academy place, which made the question into whether she was a prodigy or, worse still, an average Duelist.

"Get a load of this," she bragged, "now, when Inferno Stream attacks, she'll destroy the Axe and your monster and give us 1400 more Life Points and get lots more Attack Points. Simply put, you're seriously screwed, big guy."

He said nothing. Inferno Stream unleashed her power on Abyssal Terror, firing blasts of fire and water that joined together, with gusts of wind dispelling his enchantment and axe. In seconds, the Evil HERO had been defeated. [Malicious Edge: 8000 → 7600]

"And guess what happens now?" Mindy said with a wide grin.

"I realize fully what happens now," the Evil HERO countered, indignant that she thought he did not. As he had said, so did it happen.

An obsidian and purple aura flared around Inferno Stream, strengthening the knightly HERO's Attack and Defense values, up to the point that they became 3200 &amp; 2400\. After they had reached their respective heightened amounts, the aural outburst died down again. Then, finally, their Life Points rose as well, to 5400.

"Well, that's it," Mindy beamed triumphantly. "I end my turn."

Expressionlessly, the Duel Monster drew a card. "I bid Bubbleman to emerge, to serve me. I shall summon this one in Attack Mode. RISE!"

In another splash from nowhere, the Elemental HERO arose. [800/1200]

"By the fact of his solitude on my field, I can draw two additional cards," he stated, and did so. He saw that the cards were Dark Calling and Evil HERO HQ - neither card could affect the situation, but then, that was fine.

Three large cards appeared on the field without a verbal declaration, their position being face-down. Jasmine smirked widely; between her Breaker, Mystical Space Typhoon and Mindy's Cyclone Wing, they had enough to take out each of those cards.

"And this will mark the completion of my second turn," Malicious deadpanned. "Bring your best to bear, and pray that it suffices."

Mindy rolled her eyes at that bit of trash-talk.

"Oh, I will!" Jasmine shot back, and with an exaggerated motion, drew a card. _"Please be good please be good please be good - _YES!" the ginger-haired teenager shouted, when she saw that the card was Ties of the Brethren.

"Okay, listen up because this might get kinda long-winded," Jasmine began.

"See, first I activate the Spell, Mystical Space Typhoon, which destroys the middle one of your face-down cards," she held up the magical card, and from it emerged a whirlwind that charged at the named target. The card was ripped asunder by the air currents.

"Next, I normal summon Breaker the Magical Warrior," she continued. On the field materialized a sorcerer-knight in predominantly red-and-gold armor. The sword-wielding mage stood at the left side of their other knightly monster, the blue jewel in the shield burning with arcane light. [1600/1000]

"I see," the half-naked Duel Monster commented idly. "You mean to use the Magical Warrior and Cyclone Wing to do away with my cards, and all but win the Duel, I take it?"

A moment later, he had been proved absolutely right about absolutely everything.

With a swing of his blade, Breaker cast a wave of arcane energy at the left card, annihilating it into oblivion.

Inferno Stream unleashed her tri-elemental fury on her foe. The blasts ripped through the air, aimed directly at Bubbleman and the sole remaining face-down card.

The Elemental HERO struggled to survive for a fleeting moment, but alas, he met his end to the overwhelming force that had been unleashed, and Malicious paid dearly for his defeat. [Malicious Edge: 7600→ 5200]

Once again, Inferno Stream's unique ability activated, bolstering her strength and durability, as well as their Life Points, by 1200 points each. [Inferno Stream: 3200/2400 → 4400/3600] [Jasmine &amp; Mindy: 5400 → 6600]

"But I'm not done," Jasmine continued. The Evil HERO Duelist looked at her almost as though she had gone nucking futz. "Here's a Spell, Ties of the Brethren, and here's how it works," Jasmine initiated a round of tedious exposition. "Now I can summon two other Level 4 monsters from my Deck, and I have the perfect two in mind: I summon two Vengeful Dark Elves!" she emphasized the statement by picking up her Deck, and examining its contents. A card was picked from there and from her hand, and placed on her Disk.

Almost in the manner of a volcano, plumes of solid shadow erupted from the ground beside the Evil HERO knight, plumes that shaped themselves into a duo of dark-skinned violet-haired elf women who were garbed in blue garments that recalled both the designs of robes and tunics in certain ways.

The display of their respective Attack and Defense Points was rendered almost as soon as they were summoned, and lingered only briefly, though long enough for Malicious Edge to read it. [2000/800]

"Downside is," Jasmine continued while the tell-tale sound effect of dropping Life Point played, "I can't attack with them or tribute them, and I have to give up 1000 Life Points to even use the card, but it's still worth it; you'll see why soon enough. I'll end my turn as-is."

The Evil HERO knew why - Vengeful Dark Elf could whittle away his Life Points without attacking, but he didn't care. He drew and was met with a Solemn Wishes card. He felt a mixed frustration and relief at that; one brief turn more, and nobody would be able to say that he hadn't championed the cause of his masters to the very end.

Barely a minute later, the Evil HERO lady knight dealt the final blow. [Malicious Edge: 4200 → 0]

Immediately after they had won, they felt their skin turn sorta tingly. With barely a moment to react or think or speak, a half-formed cry of shock escaped Jasmine's throat. In about a second, reality turned all kinds of screwy for her - firstly, her surroundings turned a single bright shade of blemished white, then replaced by more than an infinitude of colors, more than she could number or identify, as blindingly bright as they were brief-lived.

For a single moment, Jasmine physically felt nothing apart from the incomprehensible inflood of color. The whole psychedelic experience induced nausea in the girl - and then it ended quite bluntly.

After a moment to orient herself, she saw that she was back at Duel Academy, hopefully in the right dimension. Frantically looking around, she was relieved to find the tent parked exactly where they had put it up, and to hear Mindy rustle around within.

Within minutes, a sense of peace and quiet and jovial warmth had descended over their little campsite, one far removed from alternate dimensions where real Duel Monsters lived or Duels against nebulously evil Duel Monsters.

Finding comfort in the presence of the other girl, they quickly eased into their earlier conversation about guys around the island who they thought were cute or downright _hot - _Zane was in the latter category, incidentally.

And it was like so that another day at Duel Academy had passed. For some, the day had been mundane. For some, the day had been monumental.

* * *

**Well, that's a wrap. Hopefully the choices for their Decks and their Duel were both appealing. Kindly remember to leave a review if ya could be bothered. Now, all that remains is the CoTD feature, which I forgot on the initial posting. **

* * *

_**Evil HERO Abyssal Terror | 5/Fusion/WATER/Fiend/Effect | 1400/1000 | **__**"Elemental HERO Bubbleman" + "Elemental HERO Avian" | Effect - **__**Must be Fusion Summoned with "Dark Fusion" and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. During either player's Battle Phase, this card can attack. This card can attack directly.**_

_**Evil HERO Inferno Stream | 5/Fusion/WATER/Fiend/Effect | 1800/1000 | **__**"Elemental HERO Burstinatrix" + "Elemental HERO Bubbleman" | Effect - **__**Must be Fusion Summoned with "Dark Fusion" and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Gain Life Points equal to the ATK or DEF (whichever is higher) of that destroyed monster in the Graveyard, also this card gains an equal amount of ATK/DEF.**_

_**Evil HERO Supreme Inferno Wing | 8/Fusion/FIRE/Fiend/Effect | 2500/2100 | **__**"Evil HERO Inferno Wing" + 1 "Elemental HERO" – OR – 1 "Evil HERO" monster | Effect - **__**Must be Fusion Summoned with "Dark Fusion" using the correct (printed) materials, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. For each "Evil HERO" monster in your Graveyard, this card gains 500 ATK. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing Battle Damage to your opponent. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to either the ATK or DEF (whichever is higher) of the destroyed monster. When this card battles, no other cards and/or effects can be activated/applied, until the end of the Damage Step.**_


	8. Cards On The Table

**Sorry that this one took a bit, I've had some bad burn-out recently; that and considering possible story ideas for this mess.**

**Anywho, in this chapter, the 'Predimensional Five' get a handful of questions answered, in direct violation of about every rule of sound narrative progression, mostly for the lulz.**

**Also, a round of exposition about the Gentle Darkness somewhere in this whole mess. **

* * *

Leo and Luna grimaced much like children caught by their parents red-handed and with both hands in the cookie drawer.

Marik and Ishizu glared in seemingly practiced unison. It probably was practiced, mind you.

She had believed that they would have remedied the situation in a sound and amiable manner, informing the five hosts of the Gentle Darkness about the situation and their newfound power in consummate detail. To do otherwise had been both irresponsible and cruel, and foolish, given everything.

Instead, Leo and Luna had strong-armed them, violated their free will, into using cards from the Synchro Universe. Whatever the pair had intended with that, was not Ishizu cared much about. In hindsight, they ought to have seen it coming, the older female conceptual entity conveyed mentally to the older male conceptual entity - those two younger ones _were, _after all, known to engage in capricious and malign games across the twelve universes.

Regardless, the fact remained that what Leo and Luna had done so casually was inexcusable - they had a code of conduct to uphold. Ishizu escorted them away for a proper scolding, and Marik set about fixing their little mess.

That night on the Academy island, almost all slept contentedly, save the five who currently embodied the Gentle Darkness.

For them, their slumber was interrupted by two of the Celestials bringing their dreaming minds partly outside their bodies and partly into one of the realms between the twelve dimensions, a plane known and named to them as the Time Vortex, a term that Crowler recognized from Doctor Who and was therefore skeptical of despite its multiversal nature in the show, a psychedelic void filled with more colors than all kinds.

Without spoken words, the protracted exchange was conducted, minds communing directly with minds, and the humans' own minds doing the translation of the conveyed thoughts into proper Japanese.

A solemn apology was issued for the acts of their fellows and for his own intrusion into their minds, one that was warily accepted.

That night, the group were brought up to speed about the Gentle Darkness, one of the higher powers of the universe, an ancient force of dark magic that had spawned life across the twelve dimensions and had now incarnated in them. A benefit of hosting it was that it granted them limited reality warping _(a term which they weren't all that familiar with)_ by means of manifesting the abilities of their cards, and sorcerous power as well.

They were assured by Marik that it was a force intended for the cause of good, the protection of all life and creation, opposed to the Light of Destruction by its nature, but nonetheless they didn't entirely trust his word, on account of what Leo and Luna had done, something which he couldn't fault them for.

One of Crowler's theories, that the Celestials were comparable entities to the Time Lords and the Ferutu - fictional extraterrestrial races ancient and advanced enough that they wrote and maintained the physical laws of their respective universes - was proposed, debunked and commended for being amusing.

Marik shared that he and his group safeguarded and monitored the universe, counting the chore of keeping the laws of physics fixed and stable among their responsibilities, opposing whatever phenomena or beings threatened reality itself, which they had done for several billion years.

He added that they were not material beings but creatures of the conceptual, living ideas who transcended space and time - by that detail, Crowler immediately felt reminded of the Celestis from the EDA - and tended to the universe, as its protectors and technicians, created by the universe itself, eons ago, as a defense mechanism.

The students were still mostly skeptical of that, wondering how much of this surreal business they were supposed to just nod their heads and go along with. The teacher, however, accepted it readily, more than minutely fascinating at being part of something so fantastical.

Marik conveyed further that their group had no name other than what others gave them, like they had given the name 'Celestials' in this universe and the name 'Guardians' in another.

The Celestial relayed to them of his gang having the means to both prevent Jaden's spacetime disruption, and to revert its consequences, but such was no longer a viable option - the twelve timelines of the universe had settled onto their current iterations, of which he mentioned that there were multiple, which none of them gave much of a hoot about, and the peoples of this reality had just as much right to exist as the peoples of the previous one.

The conversation was opened - well, one of the ways, and points in time, it had begun; dreams could be quite surreal, even in that regard. If that did not make sense, the feeling was mutual and very **_very _**much intended, thank you all - by Atticus (perhaps, or perhaps it had been Crowler) asking whether the universe was functionally a Cosmic Horror Story.

Much of what they had experienced over the years - people rewriting history with startling ease, a large number of super-powerful aliens and magical monsters - fit more into that genre than any other.

Marik gave a less than concise answer.

Yes, there were an overwhelming amount of creatures who could be defined as Lovecraftian in appearance and/or levels of power, roaming the twelve dimensions of this universe.

Yes, there did exist a large number of beings so unfathomably ancient and powerful - only a few of which they had encountered, and hundreds more which they hadn't yet - that to label them as deities were rather an understatement, relating further that his bunch termed these creatures 'Great Old Ones', lacking a more suitable term.

Yes, more would most certainly come to exist as the decades and centuries passed, for he related that all these mystical creatures were Duel Monsters from one of the six elemental worlds, low-Level beings who had changed into higher Leveled forms over their millennia of life.

Yes, involving oneself with cosmic affairs could occasionally lead to the sensation of being in a Cosmic Horror Story, he emanated through their dreamscape, it was nothing abnormal.

No, this did not mean that the universe was an uncaring domain, devoid of hope and optimism - _such_ was the very purpose of him and his group.

No, all was not lost because of these unfathomably powerful entities merely existing - The very purpose of the Gentle Darkness was to oppose one such Lovecraftian horror, the Light of Destruction.

Atticus sent out a relieved vibe whereas The Chazz conveyed an image of a sarcastic thumbs-up into their mind-space.

The five took it all in, making sense of it to the best of their abilities. Though the information was news to them, they weren't much taken aback by the bit about the Duel Monsters - several monsters in the card pool had later forms of a higher Level; Gagagigo in particular. That their aging process made Duel Monsters into Lovecraftian horrors, that bit, neither Atticus or Crowler bought into. At all.

The Chazz, Syrus and Lex was more than slightly puzzled by the new conversation topic, having between them no prior awareness of the Cthulhu Mythos.

Vellian found it greatly life-affirming, assuming it was true; just from living long enough, any Duel Monster would be able to accomplish anything.

Marik decided against making the existence of the Phoenix Gods known to them at the current time: That knowledge would likely cement it in their minds that the universe was indeed a Cosmic Horror Story.

Their gestalt-consciousness communication was carried on quite a bit after that, exchanging information and relaying questions not in the form of quantifiable and precise data but in the form of lightly-hurried metaphors and dream-images for the others to interpret.

And then it was over.

Across the whole damn perimeter of the island, several dozen students awoke bluntly, transitioning between the waking and dreaming worlds; among these were the five humans of the Gentle Darkness.

Disoriented, the humans - or posthumans, in some sense - either laid or sat in their beds, restless yet unmoving, each trying to process everything that they now knew from the dream-message.

A chance glimpse of her PDA on her desk reminded Alexis of what she had decided upon last night.

In their old universe, she recalled that she, Mindy and Jasmine had mostly grown apart over the years that she had known Jaden; they had hung out increasingly less as the months had passed, and they had eventually gotten out of touch altogether.

A sigh escaped her lips. Perhaps there was some benefit to getting flung back in time, or whatever had actually happened to them. In about as much time as it took for a frog to make a few leaps across a frozen pond, Alexis had changed into her Obelisk uniform. In about fifteen minutes, she had found her two friends in the woods, and had made her apology, for not having talked to them for a while.

Jasmine had snarked half-angered that that 'a while' in which the blonde had been incommunicado was about eight or ten weeks, and accepted her apology. The trio then made their way to the Card Shop; Jasmine's Deck could use an upgrade, Mindy had mentioned.

Another twenty minutes or thereabouts passed. The girls stepped foot into the second room of the Card Shack. Unfolding before them were a large room, with pale-green walls, plus just the one exit and entrance - the one they had come from. Wooden tables and chairs littered the room, though these were universally in disuse at the moment.

Built into these walls were a number of shelves, or rather, almost perfect and large cubes, with loose stacks of Duel Monsters cards placed inside. All there was in the way of identification was a title, in large black text, above each opening.

In particular, the Spellcasters section looked to contain 200 cards, at the most. That figure sounded about right. The Non-Affliated vault was more full, with more than 400 cards dumped in it, hands-down more.

The room was silent, save for the door locking behind them with an electronic-sounding and blunt 'plik' noise.

The purpose of the area was hardly at the forefront of their minds, yet present enough that the thought could be made into a bout of exposition. This room was simply intended for an 'Equivalent Exchange' of cards, one for one. One would enter with forty or more cards, one would leave with only forty.

That self-same factor was partly why only a few, the ones not keen on the random gamble that were booster packs, went there. Well, that and that the loophole of taking powerful cards and leaving weak ones had given the place poor repute around the Academy, as a graveyard of rejected cards, like the one there was only a rumor about, the one out in the forest.

Jasmine turned her head to glance at her two friends, with almost giddy glee. Mindy beamed back at them. Alexis shot them a simple smile.

In imperfect synch, the trio made their way towards the Spellcasters vault (or whatever a more apt term would be), each picking a stack of thirty-something cards, and then propped themselves down at a table.

After a moment, or actually, three moments, in which they just looked through the cards, the blonde spoke up. "Any specific ideas, Jas?"

The brunette paused amidst her inspection of a Spell, Robes of the Water Mage, taking a moment to consider her reply. "High-level Spellcasters, I guess," she said, with a shrug of her shoulders. "I didn't really put that much more thought into it."

"How about this one?" Alexis picked a card from her pile, handing it to her. Putting down her stack of cards, Jasmine accepted it and examined the monster.

Cybernetic Magician was pretty good for a Level six card, with its 2400 Attack Points and all, but his effect - temporarily changing any monster's attack power to 2000 by discarding a card - made her hesitant, because of how expensive that one card could be.

"It's definitely a maybe," Jasmine said, and put it down on the table, aside from the others. Alexis responded with an absence of physical reaction.

The brunette returned immediately to examining one of the Spells - Robes of the Water Magician; a norm power-up card, by 600 points each, save that it also made the monster a Water creature. She thought that gimmick to be neato, but Mage Power did the same thing better.

Her attention wandered purposefully, over some of the other cards in that messy pile.

Spell Seal Wand, an Equip Spell. It required 1000 Life Points to be given up at the start of your turn, and would negate the first Spell card that the opponent used. She was hesitant to take it because of how chancy it was.

Mage of Transmutation, a Level three of the Wind Attribute, 1200 Attack Points and 700 Defense Points. In exchange for the opponent drawing a card, and you discarding a card, it enabled the recovery of a card of the same type as was discarded from the graveyard. Though a card of considerable utility, she wasn't 100% convinced to grab it while it was there, and placed it in her 'maybe' stack.

Dark Red Enchanter, a Level six of the Dark, 1700 Attack Points and 2200 Defense Points. Relied on Spell Counters, gaining 300 points of offense for each, to take out cards in the opponent's hand. She observed that it was a powerful one - a card that even Yugi Muto had used in a few tournaments over the years - but her Royal Cursed Library already did the same thing, but without providing as much muscle. Decisions, decisions... Jasmine placed it into the 'maybe' category.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Mindy sporting a speechless expression, eyes wide. "What?" Jasmine asked. Mindy handed her a Trap card, and then she understood why the other girl was gawking at it.

The card was a copy of Magic Cylinder - she didn't know who would leave this kind of card in the Trade Pool, but she was _definitely _taking it. The brown-haired girl swapped a Dust Tornado for it.

A strange form of silence, one with a deafening edge, descended over the room as they continued their reworking of her Deck.

A few minutes passed, them going over cards and Mindy mentally playing the theme song to Buffy the Vampire Slayer for some unfathomable reason.

With an annoyed sigh, Jasmine laid the monsters of her Deck out on an empty spot on the table, making sure to keep each one separate from the other nineteen. After a few seconds, she had examined it, and did so a few more times, only to invariably arrive at the same conclusion: Her Deck was built around Level four Spellcasters, easing into something else wasn't easy.

"Maybe I should just start over," she aired a suggestion to the others. Mindy's mental playing of the BtVS theme was interrupted bluntly. "Keep a few cards, add in loads of new ones. Y'think that could work?"

Alexis and Mindy mutually considered that idea.

"Go for it," Mindy replied after a pause, Alexis seconding the suggestion. Jasmine's eyes lit up as an idea occurred to her, and turned her head down to the cards perched on the table. It was clear as day in her mind which cards she wanted to use as the foundation for her new Deck: The elves of Light and Dark, and Magical Exemplar.

From her 'maybe' stack, the brunette took that Mage of Transmutation thing, and added it into her coalescing Deck.

In such fashion, these three spent about an hour reworking Jasmine's Deck, mundanely eventfully. For the most part, it was a quiet affair, save for that bit when Mindy happened to bring up her Evil HERO Deck, and Alexis' subsequent reaction, shock and fear having been evident on her face then.

Neither had really understood the situation, because the Evil HERO cards were from another dimension; Mindy and Jasmine knew it to be a logical impossibility that Alexis knew about them, and the blonde thought the same of them.

They mutually brushed it off, because neither side wished to be considered crazy, and well, claiming to have visited a parallel dimension - or in Alexis' case, being involved in a spacetime event that rewrote history itself across multiple dimensions - wasn't exactly a good benchmark for sanity.

They left the room, both Jasmine and Mindy having modified their Decks, while Alexis hadn't, for (as she claimed) her Deck was perfect as it was. Right, well, we would have to fast-forward this bit too, it seemed.

Over the hours and days and weeks that followed, they waged many Duels against many opponents - Garfield's legion of Gladiator Beasts; Rika's array of Phantom Beasts; Ben's swarm of Aliens; Seika's horde of snakes and Atticus' dragons in a tag match; Will's vampires; Bastion's sorcery and science Decks; countless others.

Then, they journeyed on home for Christmas, in Domino City. There, six members of their social circle - self-evidently, Syrus, Zane, Alexis, Atticus, Mindy and Jasmine - spent a few days - roaming about their hometown; spending time with their friends and parents;

Crowler and Hibiki and the rest of the Duel Academy faculty, spent the Christmas time in their own ways.

Vellian mainly split his time between snowboarding down the side of the volcano, and brushing the Eighth Doctor Adventures, and learning the craft of magic from Marik and Ishizu - though far from an expert in the field, he had come to find it easy to do once he had gotten experience; within four days, he had become able to manifest Duel Monsters at will. Though he did not feel entirely comfortable with wielding a power that casually defied the laws of physics, he had further found the experience exhilarating _and _his stance on the matter irrelevant - with a potentially endless list of Great Old Ones and omnipotent sorcerers out there, across the universe, their planet needed whatever defenders it could get.

Midori was off in the Astral World, searching an off-shore city for an ancient magitech artifact, but this was a tale for another day.

Several hundreds of students were scattered across the whole of Japan, spending the holidays on activities far too diverse and numerous to encapsulate in a single sentence.

In the infinite voids of space and time, the planet drifted, lethargetically and blindingly fast, while six billion human lives marched on. It looked... smaller than one might expect from out here, the narration reflected, suspended in interplanetary space by tethers and forces of pure story. It was also possibly the most damned beautiful and most amazing thing that anyone could ever see...

And with that... the story could end...

Right.

* * *

**Well, this has been a fascinating read, hasn't it? And by 'fascinating' I mean 'kinda bugnuts'. Apologies for this chapter being somewhat sorta short, but I expect the next chapter to fully make up for it.**

**In regards to the scattered mentions of Reality Warping power associated with the Gentle Darkness during the early parts, I chose to interpret it (rightly or wrongly) as such, for two separate reasons. **

**The first is that magic is in itself one form of Reality Warping, albeit with setting-imposed restrictions, like having to speak the incantations or conduct a proper ritual.**

**The second is for the challenge of writing about Reality Warper protagonists - to see whether or not I can portray such a character without the characters degenerating into Suehood or Boring Invincible Heroes.**

**Next up, the Inter-School Duel two-parter. You won't see this one coming, I can promise you that.**


	9. The School Duel Part 1 - Redux

**Okay, this is it... the big one...**

**In this chapter, the Inter-School Duel competition is held. Said tournament is going to feature all five schools - Central, North, South, East, West - and two contestants from each (like the mangaverse tag tournament), so you can count on it being big.**

**Who is going to represent Central Academy? You'll have to read on to know the answer.**

* * *

Smetime in the January month of 2005, a new year of excitement and boredom and infinite possibilities had begun for the human race.

Three weeks had gone by since Christmas, and from all across Japan, over a thousand students had flocked back to Central.

In that span of time, countless Duels had been waged, some for fun, others for moderate and even high stakes, pitting boundlessly diverse Monsters and Spells and Traps against one another; it was far from an exaggeration to say that they had brought down hell on earth - for several Duelists tended towards the demonic; Chazz and Midori and Rachel, to name but three.

In that span of time, innumerable odd-ball events had transpired across the island - Bastion's streaker marathon - scattered Tarzan sightings - the occasional occult ceremony to summon various Duel Monsters from the alternate dimensions - strange things (possibly with magic involved, probably not) occurring in the forest - Rina from Obelisk Blue getting herself suspended and Dimitri from Ra Yellow hospitalized (both for about a week) for shoving her foot up his ass - loads of other stuff.

In that span of time, several groups had held covert meetings, away from the public eye, among which the gang comprised of the avatars of Gentle Darkness were only one. It should come as no surprise that however sneaky they believed themselves, everyone freakin' knew about these tiny little Illuminatis running around the place. Such was merely a consequence of attending Duel Academy.

In that span of time, Vellian had gotten the other four who shared the power up to speed about what they could do with reactions and levels of interest had varied, but soon, they had begun to meet up down in the forest for an improvised bout of magic practice, both with just themselves and with the Celestials, whenever they happened to have both time and interest.

For these humans, Central Academy was also Hogwarts... that made perfect sense, right?

Their study of sorcery proceeded slowly and awkwardly in their first few private lessons, but like Crowler had, they... actually, that was how it stayed for them. As it turned out, something that you had no real time to practice was not something that you were likely to learn in any significant capacity. Fancy that, eh?

For today, the tale began not in one place but in two.

Out in the ocean, Gerard was swimming towards the island, motivated by a tip from Ryuga... hold on, he was swimming _all the way_ from the other coast? That was kinda badass, actually, but nothing else was to be expected from Sir Gerard, Conqueror of Seas, he who was kin to Mako Tsunami.

Up in one of the main building's offices, the school faculty was assembled, still debating their choice of representatives as they had been for twenty minutes by this point.

"I still say that two Obelisks is our best bets," Vellian insisted to the others seated at the table. Their attention was either on him, or on Sheppard. "Susan, Alexis, Chazz, Mindy, Jasmine, Jake, Franklin, Rina. We have so many choices among the first years, and they would all perform excellently in the School Duel; of that, I'm certain."

Sheppard pondered that suggestion. He wasn't questioning their abilities, heavens no, but as Crowler himself said, they had so many choices, too many to select two in particular.

"Well, there is the obvious solution," Lyman piped up, whilst stroking Pharaoh. All eyes turned to him, Sheppard wordlessly encouraging him to proceed. "A brief little tournament with... shall we say, thirty-two of the best first-year students, from all three dorms?"

Sheppard considered it briefly. "That sounds good enough for me. Does anyone have anything to add, to that suggestion?" he asked around the table, but received only silence.

Later that day, around three'o'clock, this rag-tag bunch was assembled in the Obelisk Blue Duel Dome, with several hundreds more seated in the spectator rows.

Dimitri glanced hurriedly around, his face showing clear unease. "Wow," he muttered, partly to his friend, who was right next to him. "No pressure, huh?"

"We _will_ manage this," Bastion assured him firmly. "Remember, _this_ is what we practiced for."

Chazz, arms folded and Duel Disk at the ready, surveyed silently his impending opponents; he recognized several of them, and knew what their Decks featured, but many more were unknowns.

In a different region of their impromptu circle, Alexis was to be found, smirking with eager anticipation; _this _was what she lived for. The blonde remained as silent as Chazz.

Elsewhere in the ring of contestants, Syrus was standing, silently glaring up at Zane who was looking back at him, keen to take his brother's full measure. Many of the spectators took notice of their weird little staring contest, but few really found it interesting, or necessary to comment on.

Miranda was barely keeping it together, in the face of hundreds of people staring her down; the brunette was fidgeting, scratching herself in odd places, mumbling strange things, sounding to be on the verge of hyperventilating - for her friends and those who knew her, this was better than expected.

Jasmine and Mindy glanced at one another and at Alexis, both of the former grinning widely.

At the other side of the arena, a maroon-haired teenage boy named Davis and a green-haired teenage girl named Rina were leaning against the wall in a classic cool pose. His hand wandered in search of hers. She eyed him and took his hand in hers.

Jackson smirked almost uneasingly, the brunet's attentions wandering over each of his thirty-one foes. The Ra was confident that he would emerge victorious, for he had _literally _the legions of Hell backing him up.

This little, hastily slap-banged together, tournament began not long after, with a minimum of fuzz.

The Duel between Jackson &amp; Rose quickly turned one-sided, his endless swarm of Netherworld Soldiers - the proceedings got halted a bit by her questioning his use of more than three of that card - getting the best of the blonde's pack of wolves, an Acolyte-empowered Soldier landing a direct slash to conclude their little skirmish.

The spectators were treated to a bout between Alexis &amp; Winry, a mostly uneven one - Between the Glacial Queen's ability to put Winry's Draw &amp; Battle Phases on ice, and the Icicle Sword equip card's gimmick of expanding her attacking range to everything on the field, the Alchemist Duelist had pretty much no options to turn things around. 3,000 points of damage and the blonde Obelisk's scream marked the conclusion of this Duel.

Maria faced off against Terry. After a few cautious turns, her zombies occasionally picking away at his swarm of Vampire Bats but never inflicting much damage, the red-head kicked things up a notch with Great Maju Garzett, and had won within three minutes of that summoning.

Rina was announced by Crowler to be selected as the opponent of Jean. It was mostly a back-and-forth match; Rina maintained greater field presence through-out, but Jean persisting in resurrecting the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, only for Luster Dragon 3 to kill it again. That 500-Attack-Point difference provided instrumental in the Duel's outcome.

The Chazz faced off vs Diana. His opening move of summoning his eight-level Bau the Black Dog Beast with Star Blast, at the cost of 2,000 Life Points, had pretty much defined their Duel: The hell-hound's 2,800 points was more power than her Amazonesses (or _whatever_ the plural form of that word was) could muster up, and the victory was soon claimed by his Burning Dragon, its summoning wiping away more of her cards than its attack did.

In a development that surprised few, the Duel generally amounted to Dimitri turning Roy's own cards and tactics back on him however and whenever the Ra Yellow could, while taking the lead with his own. Both sides frequently exchanged blasts and volleys of fire, at monsters and players alike, but eventually, Roy was done in by his own mind-controlled Thestalos the Mega Monarch.

Bastion had used his Sorcery Deck for the occasion, which had caught Sydney - who had expected the Science one instead of the Yokai cards - off guard. The two Yellows went at everything they had, waging the longest Duel yet in this tournament; even Bastion's Blue Ogre emptying Sydney's hand on the fifteenth turn wasn't enough to put the Rock'n'Roll Duelist down for the count. Ultimately, however, it was Bastion who narrowly emerged victorious, from the clash between his Red &amp; Blue Ogres and Sydney's Legendary Rocker.

Jasmine Dueled Gold, and her fledgling mages came face-to-face with a pack of monkeys. Between all the tricks that these Spellcasters were capable of together, and Magic Cylinder continually recycled to thwart his attacks, even his strongest of primates failed to rise to the challenge, however much he strengthened them. So it was that the eternal debate between strength and skill had continued in them.

Relena Dueled Mindy, and her fledgling beasts came face-to-face with the group of demonic superheroes that Mindy was becoming known for. With every turn, Relena got further and further on the back-foot. Every clever combo or ploy or that the blonde attempted was utterly demolished by the overwhelming power of her Evil HEROes. So it was that the eternal debate between strength and skill had continued in them.

Syrus versus Crystal, Roids vs Plant-types. It was hardly even fair; by the second turn, he had taken the lead, melding Steamroid and Gyroid through the magic of Power Bond into one 4,400-points-huge behemoth, costly though it was, and the turns afterwards consisted largely of her panickedly looking for a way to match that monstrosity, and him repelling whatever defenses she amassed.

Harrison was chosen to engage Yamato in a Duel. For that Duel, it seemed that Winged Kuriboh Level 10 would be his trump card; the super-badass dragonic furball certainly deterred Yamato from attacking with his pack of lupines. With Winged Kuriboh Level 10 to serve as his defense and Kuriboh Level 6 to serve as his offense, Harrison neatly wiped all of Yamato's Life Points out in a few turns, in vast chunks with each go.

Rika's opponent was Johnny. Both of them went at it hard and fast, expending the usable contents of their hands and fields by their second turns. On the fifth turn, the redhead had only Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts left, its Attack Points doubled by Horn of the Phantom Beasts and Horn of the Unicorn, and 1,800 Life Points. Still, Johnny's field was open, cleared of even dying embers, which spoke measures for what his chances of winning were: Ouch percent.

Ben showcased the power of his entire Alien swarm, though they were matched well by Miranda's Warriors. Turn by turn, they proved almost equal, continuing to send monsters into battle, biding their time, assessing the other. After thirty minutes of this back-and-forth dance, Miranda scored a direct hit with Marauding Captain.

Doctor Crowler announced the next two Duelists to be Tommy &amp; Martin, for all to hear. With their Double Attacks and Transformation Summons, and their own diverse superpowers, Tommy's team of Masked HEROes proved to be more than a match for Martin's horde of Phantom Beasts, despite his initial theory, and the blond teen just joined his girlfriend Diana in the spectator rows.

Here, the competitors were declared as Riza &amp; Gwen, so it shaped up to another Warrior-versus-Spellcaster showdown. The blonde's army of Military monsters took the early lead... and generally dominated the redhead's panoply of mages; Sergeant Electro played a particularly large role in making Riza's victory a certainty. With Launcher Spider's missile attack on Crusader of Endymion, the blonde won their contest.

The final Duel of the first round was begun, with the last two remaining: Davis &amp; Rachel. The clash between Luster Dragon 3 and Invader of Darkness, and the ensuing cloud of smoke that enveloped the entire room was pretty much as good as their Duel got, both before and after that point. Everything else was just Davis sending his blue Dragons at Rachel's dark magic forces, with Dark Ruler Ha Des securing the victory for the raven-haired teen.

In such fashion, the people of Central Duel Academy had spent about three-four hours on the first round of the qualification tournament, just serving as an audience; in that time, many watchers had dropped by and left and returned, about two hundred students staying put to watching the Duels of those among those that they counted among their friends, however boring or exciting it got.

By this point, the remaining contestants felt bored almost out of their skulls; more than one actually considered throwing the Duel just to get out of there. Several were mentally running on fumes.

With little hesitation, though, they initiated the second round, and eight more _riveting_ Duels.

First pair to go were Rachel &amp; Syrus. For that Duel, the Slifer focused on a strategy of continually strengthening his Satelliteroid with Training Field card, whereas Rachel built up her defenses in anticipation of a One Turn Kill; said One Turn Kill was delivered before the twelfth turn, by four demons pooling all their power into a 7700-points-huge strike.

Second pair to go were Tommy &amp; Dimitri. The copycat Duelist did what he did best, even managing to Brain Jack Masked HERO Dian. Between that and Dark Mimic LV7's hand-buffing ability, Tommy was increasingly put on the back foot with each passing turn, until Dimitri's greater amount of resources won the Ra the Duel.

Third pair to go were Jackson &amp; Bastion, pitting the creatures and forces of two human afterworlds against one another in a face-off that was ultimately won by the Ogre brothers.

Fourth pair to go were Rina &amp; Miranda. Both sides seemed to make an unspoken agreement to leave this one to their ace monsters, so neither Luster Dragon 3 nor Gilford the Legend left the battlefield for long; whatever cards they procured or drew, they devoted to strengthening or safeguarding their leading creature however was possible. Rina ultimately won by means of inflicting a meager amount of damage from the thirteenth show-down.

Fifth pair to go were Mindy &amp; Harrison. For that Duel, Mindy debuted another Evil HERO, namely Tempest Golem, whose power to alter Attack and Defense scores was put to abundant use against Harrison's swarm of furballs. After a long Duel, and after the Evil HERO's battle power had been raised by 500 points enough times to greatly exceed 4,000, Mindy summoned Lightning Golem in a successful bid to finally end it.

Sixth pair to go were Jasmine &amp; Chazz. It was a quite uneven Duel, for try as she might, The Chazz's menagerie of mighty beasts outmatched every one of her sorcerers and sorceresses with their vast amounts of power. For most of the Duel, Armed Dragon Level 7 ripped most of her mages to shreds, turn after turn, soon finishing the proceedings as well, with a single soul-shattering strike.

Seventh pair to go were Alexis &amp; Riza. In that Duel, the dirty-blonde Obelisk rushed to call forth both of the White Night rulers, managing the summoning of the White Night King on her first turn. The arctic monarch enjoyed a reign of considerable length, but absolute control over the battlefield eluded the King until the Queen joined him, their respective ability sealing the gap in the other's. True love with a side-order of asskicking; classic story. Together, they spelled Riza's defeat.

Eighth pair to go were Rika &amp; Maria. Within all of eight minutes, Maria's undead horde had swept through the Phantom Beasts that Rika dispatched at them.

In such fashion, the Duelists for the third round had been selected, after nearly two hours more of non-stop Duel Monsters matches.

For the semi-final round's first match, Rina &amp; Rachel were picked to duke it out. Early on, both players rushed to summon the stronger monster, be it demonic or dragonic, then their plays focused on keeping said monster alive by any means. The Duel was concluded not by a cataclysmic and drawn-out struggle, but by Rachel simply activating Nightmare Wheel to shackle her Luster Dragon 3 and gradually eat away at Rina's points, a tactic which she had been ill-prepared to counter.

For the semi-final round's second match were chosen Dimitri of the Ra Yellow dorm and Maria of the Obelisk Blue dorm. Both players drew fortuitously on their opening hands, and played largely as the audience expected: Dimitri acting passively and helping himself to Maria's cards and tricks turn after turn, Maria leading the proceedings with a cautious offensive.

For the semi-final round's third match, Alexis &amp; Bastion were up to bat. He had been the worst possible match-up for her to face, for the Ra Yellow's deck had counters for many of her moves, seeming almost built to take her down - Icicle Sword &amp; Icicle Cannon's attack-range-broadening abilities fell short against Nine-Tailed Fox's revival ability; the fusing of Frost Sprite &amp; Snow Fairy cut short by the powers contained with the Enma's Judgment card; Red Ogre's ability laying waste to the blonde's field and sealing the deal with a slam of his club.

For the semi-final round's fourth match, just Mindy and just The Chazz. Both raced to bring out their biggest guns, Mindy busting out her Lightning Golem as her opening movie, The Chazz activating Ties of the Brethren to bust out XYZ Dragon Cannon as his. Explosions quickly ensued, as did The Chazz's victory.

In such fashion, the prospective choices had been whittled down to just four.

On a level of being altogether more cosmic and metaphysical, these past several hours had been a giant mess, one of truly pandimensional scale - the Duel Monsters matches had each played out in innumerable potential universes, every possible turn of events and final outcome a part of this multidimensional mess, before infinite possibility gave way to singular reality when the universe was observed, picosecond after picosecond. Be that as it might, the intricacies of Wave Function Collapse and the Many-Worlds Interpretation were neither here nor there.

Now, the final two showdowns were at hand after almost ten hours; the various Slifers and Ras and Obelisks were greatly relieved by that knowledge.

Bastion &amp; Dimitri were the first pair to go, and Rachel &amp; Chazz were the second. Both Duels were mostly forgettable; neither of the quartet debuted any new cards or strategies or tactics. To the surprise of a few dozen onlookers and exactly as a dozen others had fully expected, Bastion &amp; Chazz emerged victorious.

However, events of perhaps greater significance were taking place elsewhere on the island. Beyond the forest, Gerald - now attired as a Slifer Red - was giving the exterior of the abandoned dorm building a good long look.

With the entire area bathed in moonlight, he could make out the dorm in vivid detail. It was outwardly in disrepair, and now presented little of the opulence he imagined that it had possessed once.

Scarcely a minute later, he began to walk towards the building, quickly entering its halls and its depths and its mysteries.

Scarcely half an hour later, two screams emerged from the half-open front door, or perhaps one separated into two conflicting pitches.

One scream had clearly belonged to a human. One scream had clearly belonged to something other than human. The screams went unheard by human ears, save two. Deep in the surrounding woods, Damon and Wheeler paused amid a Duel when they faintly registered the noise, but neither dwelled on it for long.

The abandoned dorm's front doors slammed shut on the empty entrance hall. The dead building was left alone to wait dreaming once more, and its countless mysteries as well returned to eternal slumber.

* * *

**That's a wrap. **

**While I realize that relegating the Duels to background activity is less than entertaining, I had little choice in the matter. To write out each of these Duels (at about 1,200-ish words a piece) the long way around would fluff up this chapter to about 40,000 words or more, which would almost certainly have become an equally tedious reading experience before the first 10,000 words were over and done with. **

**That, and I honestly lack the drive/desire to write more than 5,000-word chapters as a regular thing.**

**EDIT: Dangit, forgot this section... again. Sometime I _will_ remember this on the first go...**

* * *

_**Luster Dragon 3 | 8/WIND/Dragon/Normal | 2900/1200**_

**_Soldier of the Netherworld | 4/DARK/Fiend/Effect | 1500/1500 | Effect - _****_Your Deck can contain any number of this card (this effect applies anywhere and cannot be negated)._**

**_Acolyte of the Netherworld | 2/DARK/Fiend/Effect | 500/500 | Effect - _****_Your Deck can contain any number of this card (this effect applies anywhere and cannot be negated). _****_While this card is in the graveyard, all "Netherworld" monsters on the field gains 500 ATK/DEF._**

_**White Night King | 7/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect | 2100/800 | Effect - **_**_Cannot be Special Summoned. Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up card on the field; destroy that target._**

**_Blue Ogre | 7/EARTH/Yokai/Effect | 2800/2100 | Effect - _****_When this card is Summoned, you can send any number of cards in your hand to the Graveyard to make your opponent discard as many cards as you did._**

**_Evil HERO Tempest Golem | 6/Fusion/EARTH/Fiend/Effect | 2000/2000 | _****_"Elemental HERO Avian" + "Elemental HERO Clayman" | Effect - _****_Must be Fusion Summoned with "Dark Fusion" and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. During either player's Standby Phase, you can target 1 face-up monster on the field; increase or decrease its ATK/DEF by 500._**

**_Kuriboh LV6 | 6/DARK/Fiend/Effect | 300/200 | Effect - You can discard 2 monsters in your hand whose name includes "Kurib"; inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each card they control. End your turn after this effect resolves._**


	10. The School Duel Part 2 - Redux

**Sorry that this one too took a while; between its sheer length, some sporadic writer's block and a number of projects, I like to think I have an excuse for the delay.**

* * *

Yet another day had begun for Duel Academy. Once more onto the breach, dear friends, once more.

In the two days that had passed, almost like the blink of an eye, since the qualification rounds for the Inter-School Duel tournament, Chazz and Bastion had been almost unable to find rest, for countless... _over-enthused _individuals had hounded them around the perimeter of Central, for several hours of that first day, before these students realized that chasing them everywhere would only hinder their chances of winning.

Chazz resumed his personal brand of training. In one of the VR halls, he had configured the Duel system to [ Level 5 - Grade 4 - Endless Mode ] or in less in-the-know terminology, hand the AI 20,000 Life Points and four cards per turn, along with a never-ending supply of cards to draw. For hours on end, he tested himself and his Deck against every kind of monster available, refining his skills in countering every and any specific Type.

Bastion's approach was slower and less intense but more considered. With almost 100 cards themed after some aspect of science, he continually tweaked and overhauled his Deck to render it more resistant against the various strategies the other Ras used.

Against the Dragon Deck, Chazz found himself stymied by its emphasis on offense and defense, and straight-forward effects.

Against Zack, whose strategy was whittling the opponent's Deck down to nothing, Bastion quickly found himself overwhelmed and with a flaw in his Deck laid bare.

Against the Warrior Deck, Chazz found no more of a challenge than with the Dragon Deck, though a moderately different one - here the computer was more geared toward rapid summons of powerful monsters.

Against Ted, who now used a rudimentary Elemental HERO (he suspected that Mindy's recent activities was partly a factor here... that or a crush), Bastion found himself challenged but not greatly so nor for very long.

Against the Sea Serpent Deck, Chazz found himself challenged. Its focus on offense and synergistic tactics proved quite a hassle, but even so, this adversary was merely another foe to be put down by his five Ojama brothers.

Against Dimitri, Bastion was pressed between a rock and a hard place, for the other's tried-and-true copycat tactics proved as frustrating to deal with as ever in the several weeks that Dimitri had used them.

Against the Winged Beast Deck for the fourth time, Chazz had come to notice a pattern about the Decks - fourteen low-level monsters, three mid-level monsters, three high-level monsters, ten spells, ten traps.

It was universally a fact that for them, there was no time to lose and no room for compromise in their pursuit of greater Dueling skill. Occasionally, their respective and shared friends happened to stop by for a chat

All this was in the past.

In the here and now, the sun was setting on Central Academy after another day, of classes and other stuff and a great many Duels, had gone by.

Through the local forest trudged The Chazz, seeing a clearing with several familiar faces and one unfamiliar face. An eyebrow arched, his sauntering continued unabated towards his seeming destination, soon reaching the clearing where his friends were, and gave the newcomer a quick look - a tall woman in a purple hoodie and gold-colored jeans, with strikingly, skin a mixed shade of bleached-white and blue.

_"Now there's something you don't see everyday," _Chazz remarked mentally, and raised a hand in greeting. "S'up."

The stranger regarded Mister Princeton neutrally, not giving an answer.

"I am certain that you have noticed the presence of Miss Horakhty," Ishizu addressed them all, gesturing to the alabaster-skinned woman. "The reason I have asked her to come here is that certain matters in another universe demands my attention and will do so for the foreseeable future. Therefore, Horakhty will take over the matter of your formal training in sorcery."

Between heart-beats, Ishizu vanished into thin air, with that statement as her parting remark.

"Okay, let's get this thing started," Chazz voiced after a pause.

"I quite agree," Horakhty spoke in a relatively contralto-pitched voice, keeping an aloof tone. She pursed her lips, considering for a moment how to approach the subject. "I was not informed exactly what or how much you were told previously, so I will have to start with the fundamentals. As was stated by the occultist Aleister Crowley several decades ago on this planet, magic is the science and art," she received universally relatively dumbfounded and curious stares about this part, "of causing change to occur in conformity with will. Does any of you have a question concerning this?"

They began considering it, silence descending over the area. Syrus found that it kinda made sense, in light of everything they had seen over the years. Alexis decided that knowing the laws and rules of magic might come in handy sometime.

"How exactly does it work?" Syrus questioned. "I mean, rules and laws, stuff like that, and how can science and magic be the same thing?"

All eyes turned to Horakhty, their curiousity almost weighing down on her as a physical force. The Egyptian God noted that their questions were precise and considered, hardly something you would think up on the spot.

"like much else in the universe, magic is divided into cause and effect, the power source and the power itself. In this respect, it functions little differently than any form of technology, and I have met a few people who regard magic as a proper branch of science, the Mystic Science System."

"The form of energy that fuels sorcerous actions behaves identically to natural forms of energy, save that it happens to replenish itself after use, such that it can never permanently run out. Any mystical deed or spell necessitates the expenditure of magical energy, proportionate to the task being conducted. Other than this one, sorcery has no inherent laws, although it is not uncommon for various sub-branches of magic to have their own restrictions on the practice and conditions to be met."

"To answer the second question - science is fundamentally the study and observation of anything and everything, therefore magic doesn't fall outside of its purview. Contrary to what you may believe, magic isn't capable of defying the laws of the universe; at best, I would say that magic works alongside science, not outside of it."

The group took it in, inspecting and analyzing and disseminating the contents of that tirade. For minutes of their ponderings about the places of science and magic in the universe, silence reigned.

Atticus leaned back against a tree, running his left hand through his hair.

Alexis felt vaguely reminded of reading a physics textbook; perhaps it was. Her face was pensive.

Chazz's expression was caught half-way between a smirk and a frown. He wasn't sure whether to trust all that, for he still suspected the Celestials to play some game with them.

Syrus accepted it without question.

Vellian considered it, very much so enthused and intrigued by the prospects involved in this situation.

"Now, since you have been made aware of the basic principles of sorcery, would you care to attempt a practical application?" Horakhty deadpanned. They exchanged glances, silence and stares speaking louder than words. Horakhty knew that they couldn't be telepathic yet, but they still acted the part. It awoke a series of memories, ancient as recent, from the past three millennia, of all the friends and lovers she'd made, and her face softened visibly. This went unremarked upon, as Crowler stepped forward a bit.

"If there're any particular tips you might have to impart, they would be greatly appreciated, Miss Horakhty," Vellian informed her politely.

"Very well," the fused Egyptian God spirit said, watching him intently. "Focus and relax your mind, and look inward for the power that hides deep in your soul. It might feel like a sense of warmth or cold beneath your conscious mind, or a tension deep in your bones. Drag it out into the open, and draw on its power, then impose your desires and thoughts on the world around you. That goes for the rest of you as well," she said to the five.

Vellian inhaled, and closed his eyes. He heard and felt keenly the blunt sound of his own heart-beat and little besides; certainly not this 'warmth/cold' the stranger described.

On the sidelines, the other four did likewise. It would be kinda neat if a blizzard suddenly struck, but nothing of the sort seemed, the narration thought bluely. On a related note, which roles they would take in the World Of Warcraft realm of Azeroth was a mystery never to be answered, but to attend to the current physical/metaphysical proceedings...

The fivesome felt only in the remote corners of their human consciousness the mystical energies that slithered into their souls, changing them fundamentally yet not quite separating them from human nature.

Alexis was the first to feel what Horakhty meant. With a faded inhalation, she felt it happen. Across the length and breadth of her body, in and between every layer of her skin, there was this sensation, sorta like fire and lightning, or how she imagined those to feel on human skin.

Another part of her thought of it that there was some immeasurable vast shadow draping around, something she could just _feel _was older than anything she had any frame of reference for, not-pressing at the furthest edges of her mind.

What she could only think of as a radiant darkness that - she subconsciously felt to be a fact - had grown to become a kindly grandfatherly thing-almost-beyond-human-comprehension over the eons of its existence, and evoked a number of sensations and remembrances in her - the festivities of last Christmas, when Syrus got punch-drunk; the company of her best friends in any world; one of her dad's hugs; the thrill of Dueling a formidable foe.

She opened her eyes. Her brown eyes were painted over with shimmering gold. In the approaching night, the mystical radiance of her eyes was something that all present could see, bathing everything that she beheld in faded lights.

Horakhty inspected her curiously.

For Alexis, the world had changed dramatically. Around Horakhty, she could now see ... what looked like a mist made of white light enveloping her. Her hand flew to her forehead, as she felt something else, several something elses, on the inside of her skull; not painful but definitely unfamiliar.

"Lex?" Atticus inquired worriedly. The blonde glanced in her brother's direction. Around him was an aura of translucent dark stuff. The other three eyed her with concern and curiousity.

Alexis glanced back at Horakhty, golden eyes flaring. "Okay, Miss know-absolutely-everything, what's happened to me now?" she inquired faux-casually, and suddenly noticed something new about the woman: The presence of three other lights on her, emerging around her waist - one red, one yellow and one blue. Alexis decided that to be worth asking about, later.

Horakhty held her examining stare. "What I suspect that you are referring to is your newfound ability to see and sense magic itself. Over the centuries, I have known a number of Gentle Darkness wielders who mentioned having this sensory ability," she spoke in the same remote tone that Chazz was coming to associate with her.

Alexis nodded, pleased to be getting the straight answer for a change. "Cool," Syrus voiced enthused. "How does _that _feel?"

"Well, it's kinda like, uhhh..." she paused momentarily, to look for the right words. "Well, I can see it, basically. There're these auras around us, white magic around Miss Horakhty and dark magic around you guys. And there's also these spots on the inside of my head, and I think that those are other magic-users."

Syrus nodded. That was a good enough explanation for now.

"Hold on a moment," Crowler piped out, holding out a hand to silence his students, looking Horakhty over. "Did you just say_ centuries_? And could you elaborate your statement about other people having the Gentle Darkness?"

A brief look of surprise flashed over the hooded woman's face. "To answer the first of your queries, I am over three millennia old and have wandered this world for much of that time. Suffice to say, there is nowhere I have not been and nothing I have not done," she disclosed. A nostalgic mood befell her.

A moment passed in which Horakhty recalled ages past. The fivesome awaited patiently her next statement.

"To answer your second query," a ghost of a smirk formed on her face, like there was a joke they were missing, "the Gentle Darkness is a mystical force as old as this universe that has created the twelve dimensions and spawned life across them, and incarnates occasionally in human form. What exactly about these things led you to conclude that you were the first ones in countless millennia chosen to harness it? I mean no disrespect but I must fault your logic."

Moments passed in silence as the second statement settled in their minds,

"Right, so, what's next on the list?" Alexis asked to change the subject, an undertone of excitement in her voice. "Actual spells, dimensional portals, telekinesis, what-" she halted suddenly, noticing something in the corner of her eye. Jerking her head to the left, the blonde saw a pitch-black pillar of something - pure dark magic? - in the horizon, almost splitting the sky in half. One of the new sensations, one way more powerful and in the middle of her forehead, was located in that direction.

The others looked uneasily in the same direction but saw nothing of what Alexis saw. The blonde turned back to the Egyptian God. Her expression was almost panicked, to the others. "What is that?"

Horakhty pondered her choice of words for a moment, before answering. "What you see is caused by a group of tenth-Level Duel Monsters who are called the Earthbound Immortals. To give a brief summary of them, they are tens of thousands of years old and originate from a dimension called the Netherworld, a realm that you humans would understand as comparable to Hell itself. They were buried beneath five of the nazca lines about 5,000 years ago by a being called the Crimson Dragon. What you are seeing is just their spiritual energies pouring out from their prisons, and serves as the primary source of magic in this dimension. Many over the ages have harnessed these forces, for good and evil."

Silence descended as the latest news settled in. None of the Avatars of the Gentle Darkness liked the revelation. Alexis shook off her surprise.

"You mean to suggest that our planet is the jail cell for a group of renegade Hell-princes?" Crowler was audibly aghast. This could explain a great deal about human history, thought another part of him.

Chazz ignored his teacher's worry, frowninf. "So, what, our job's to send these things back into Hell?"

Horakhty's smirk lit up again. "To address each of your queries in reverse-chronological order:

"One - Your task as the latest wielders of the Gentle Darkness is to keep the Light of Destruction at bay and safeguard the universe and every lifeform in it. If you wish to combat the Earthbound Immortals, you are free to do so, but you are not required for that job. Incidentally, I strongly recommend that you do _not_. You may wield one of the greatest mystic forces in this universe, but as inexperienced as you currently are, it would only mean your deaths if you sought them out."

"Two - Your conclusion is quite accurate."

"Three - To answer your question, Alexis, I have nothing else to tell any of you about magic. I have told you of the fundamentals, about the framework in which all magics fit. If you have listened attentively and possess aptitude for sorcery, actually making magic happen should not prove difficult, I expect."

Chazz' face scrunched up in confusion, but not just a teensy tiny bit of it. "Seriously? A single short lecture, that's it, that's all?"

Horakhty frowned, almost scowling. "Yes, well, I have done the best I was able on this subject. I am no teacher at the Magical Academy, after all."

"Thanks," Alexis addressed her, smiling. "You've been a great help, and everything you've told has been both interesting and enlightening, on multiple levels. Now, let's see if this stuff actually works as advertised."

The blonde scanned the area, dim gold floodlights following her gaze, for anything of proper use. "You said just to think it, force it to happen, right?" she hastily asked Horakhty, receiving a confirmative nod.

She noticed a small rock, focusing on it. Around it, she noticed a few of those dark things pouring it almost like smoke. It then lifted from the soil, moving through the air almost of its own volition carefully into her hand, her fingers closing from it.

"You were right, Miss Horakhty," she beamed to the alabaster-skinned Duel Monster, casually levitating said rock. "This magical stuff_ is_ easy."

* * *

Over the days that followed, the two contenders from Central threw themselves back into their preparations for the competition of the year.

For close to two hours, Chazz resumed his VR practice bout. He faced about six of the monster-types. As it was far from the first time, he quickly came to find it boring and unproductive to defeat opponents he'd already triumphed over time and time again, and departed that region to find actually biological opponents.

For the better part of one afternoon and evening, Bastion was in his room, busily tweaking his Science Deck once more. He had already seen to it that it was robust against opponents who used less direct tactics, like Deck Destruction and Life Point damage, so now he _only _needed to fortify it against a world of other strategies.

On the side of the local volcano, Chazz faced off against Seika &amp; Atticus - dragons and reptiles of all kinds against Chazz's whole menagerie, their 4,000 Life Points to match his 8,000. The outcome was never really in question, for he'd bitten off more than he could chew, plain and simple. A burst of mixed flame and shadow from Red Eyes Darkness Dragon applied directly to Chazz ended matters on that occasion.

At the roughly same time in that week, Bastion examined his readiness to face Fusion-based tactics. With Dimitri at his side, he challenged Kyle's Gem Knights and Wally's Elemental HEROes. From those twenty minutes of one victory and one loss, the analytically-minded teen gained a small bit of valuable information.

Chazz spent an hour of his friday evening outside the Obelisk Blue dorm with Cloud (whose Deck revolved around the LIGHT Elemental Level Monster line, the Silent Swordsmen) and Susan (whose Deck focused on the DARK ones, the Allure Queens), duking it out.

Bastion joined up with the Elric siblings - Edward with his machines, Alphonse with the current version of his mishmash, Winry with her alchemical tactics. The other two had stopped by mainly because their younger brother had. It had provided little new information about his own Deck, but had yielded some modest experience against their individual styles, which might serve him well in the School Duel, the Ra thought once everything was said and done.

On one of these days, Chazz happened upon Jasmine out on a walk on the island. The pair got a quick and perhaps mutually beneficial Duel in, before resuming their respective current tasks; him to prepare for the School Duel, her to build up the skills to face Alexis.

A dull afternoon, Bastion checked in with the card trade room along with Dimitri. The Ra Yellow duo searched the vaults assigned to every type, and to Spells &amp; Traps in general, and to Fusions plus related cards, and to Rituals plus related cards. What they found were dozens of cards, some highly unorthodox in their abilities, that could serve them or your average Duelist well. What they left with were what they had checked in with.

In his room, Chazz spent ten minutes or so debating with himself whether to include Armed Dragon LV10 in his Deck, before settling on no; he had firepower enough as it was. In one of the dormitory hallways, Chazz faced Jim-the-womanizer and his Samurai forces, which was a first for them both. The brunet's focus on defense over offense proved a fine match for the obsidian-haired male's ... more _all-rounder_ style.

At a different part of that week, Bastion spent an hour and a half on facing two of his dorm-mates, Victor &amp; Roy, which of whom used a different kind of improvised Ritual-based Deck, in consecutive Duels. Same as all his other field tests, this laid bare a fault in his Deck needing correction.

The next day, Chazz had a chance encounter with Riza in a hallway. Neither took much notice of one another and went on with their respective business. Later that same hour, the military-inclined blonde was challenged by Mindy (on a pause from the Evil HERO Duelist's days-long trek to track down and beat every HERO user on campus) while Chazz went for another two-on-one match with Rina the Obelisk Blue &amp; Davis the Slifer Red (their mutual tactics and packs of azure dragons proved challenging, but The Chazz managed a narrow victory, much to their frustration).

In his room, Bastion was looking various series &amp; archetypes in the card pool up on the internet, taking note of their strengths and weaknesses, performing minute tweaks of his Science Deck to face them. A Duel with the Logan teen's Gladiator Beast troupe yielded practical confirmation of his readiness to face them.

On the trail that connected the various buildings, Chazz faced off against against Rick the Slifer Red; his Deck was all monsters and his strategy was pure brute force, loads of Level four monsters with 2000 and more Attack Points, occasionally with effects to aid them. He was beaten without a fight, for obvious reasons.

A lone evening, Bastion entertained himself with the Battle City DVD he'd borrowed from Alexis the other day. It was refreshing to his mind and body, after a great deal of strenous preparation, just as it was exciting to actually behold Slifer the Sky Dragon in action.

Finally, after hours and days of tireless preparation and a couple of days to relax in after, the hour was upon them.

* * *

The stage of the latest conflict was the Obelisk Blue Duel Arena. The air was almost ablaze and the spectator rows were packed with humans exclusively, of all dorms.

Around the arena, the ten chosen ones were gathered. Briefly they shot the others assessing curious glances.

"Welcome, everyone!" Professor Hibiki bellowed into a mic to the entire Obelisk Blue Duel Arena, for all to hear. "Welcome to the greatest Dueling spectacle of the year: The Inter-School Duel! This year happens to be particularly extraordinary, because it's the year that all five schools converge to determine the best of the best among them. Now, if I might direct your attention to the screens, it's time to find out who our first two participants are gonna be!"

Many pairs of eyes focused on the named objects. Almost as though they were reacting to her voice, they shifted and lit up, displaying a conventional ten-person/team tournament bracket waiting to be filled in.

Filled in, it got. One by one, the faces appeared in the squares, observed by all those present.

Tim Gladstone from North, then Thomas Norstein from East, then Blue Dawnspring from South, then Axel Brodie from West, then Adrian Gecko from East, then Jesse Andersen from North, then Aster Phoenix from West, then Bastion Misawa from Central, then Jim 'Crocodile' Cook from South, then Chazz Princeton from Central.

"Alright, then," the teacher's voice sounded. "To use a classic line: FOR THOSE ABOUT TO DUEL, WE SALUTE YOU!"

The hall promptly erupted with an enthusiastic 'YEAH' backed by the voices of hundreds and by dozens of fists punching the air. The reactions of the ten varied between stoic acceptance, to embarrassed-and-self-conscious cheek-scratching.

"Will our first pair please step into the arena!?"

In short order, Thomas &amp; Blue did. One was a handsome and tall blond, his every feature crafted to be just right and attractive, garbed in jeans and a sky-blue jacket. One was a comely brunette in a dark-as-the-night dress that accentuated her curvaceous figure. About every spectator looked at them, some simply because they found either/both of them hot. Their time on the stage was longer than their Duel: With a combination of Beast King Barbaros &amp; Axe of Fools &amp; Lightning Attack, he dealt out 4000 points of damage on the first turn.

On the four screens, Thomas' icon moved ahead of Blue's, to beside the one with Tim's face in it and beside the rectangle with Axel's.

The second Duel was between Bastion, his Science-themed style overhauled and fortified for the occasion, and Jim with his flock of crocs. Securing the victory proved disappointingly easy for him; Fundamental Force - Gravity's battle position shifting shut down Jim's every effort to breach his defenses or raise a defense of his own, and the Wave Function Collapse card eliminated randomness from the equation, and from there, the individual monster battles were quickly won.

On the four screens, Bastion's icon slid forth to complete the row of eight faces. The other student from South Academy walked off the stage to join his human comrade, their hopes of seizing victory now dashed.

The Duel between Tim &amp; Thomas was over and done with in less than a minute, using exactly the same three-card-combo he'd defeated Blue with and a number of hand-buffing cards to gather the pieces. Bastion observed that his Deck was built around that One-Turn-Kill, and if he went second, he wasn't likely to pull it off as readily.

Axel and Adrian found the other perhaps the most difficult challenge they had yet faced in their time at their respective schools. Again and again, they deployed their most potent tactics. Adrian managed a brief upper hand with the effect of Cirrostratus to rid the field of Volcanic Hammerer, but the Cloudian's time was short, thanks to Axel's Tri-Blaze Accelerator. Their almost-twenty-minutes-long struggle, of cautious and considered offensives, a series of tricks and combos executed with the grace of a dancer and the force of a boxer, a cataclysmic exchange of wildfires and storms, was concluded by Volcanic Slicer landing a glancing blast to wipe Adrian's last three-hundred Life Points.

The rows of spectators cheered them on with jubilant uncontainable excitement, with the crowds being divided into two main groups who supported either, and a minority who urged both on, as they duked it out and as they marched off.

Next up to bat were Jesse &amp; Aster, with the fate of the West Academy's victory chances at stake, pitting Crystal Beasts against Destiny HEROes - "This guy uses HEROes too? We woulda been a sweet match-up, not to mention they're both pretty cute," Mindy voiced her assessment of things, but went ignored by Aster and Jesse both - Though the shared ability of his Crystal Beasts was one that Aster briefly found fascinating, as did Bastion and several others in the audience, the Pro Duelist quickly ended things here.

The next match, well, was unfortunately between Central's home crew. Chazz initiated matters with a summoning of a Lancer Lindwurm and a facedown, and Bastion swept the dragon aside with his Vorse Raider. After that, it concluded quickly: Armed Dragon LV5 was ideal to take down his Gravity thing, and to bring the pain afterwards, to say nothing of Burning Dragon's role in this matter.

Axel defeated Thomas with relative ease, once the blond's three-card combo was stopped. Several of the West student's cards snipped bits and pieces of the East students's Life Points, paving the way for Axe of Fools drawback to do its owner in.

Aster versus Chazz proved a different story, to say the least. Round after round, each pulled out new tricks on the other. Even locking down all five of Aster's monster card zones with his Knight &amp; King Ojamas hadn't been enough to snatch decisive victory, not with Clock Tower Prison on the field. It had delayed him, though, enough for Chazz to refill his hand. Burning Dragon's devastating power marked the end of that Duel.

Well, the final clash was at hand. The air was thick with electrical tension as Axel walked back onto the arena. The Duel began easy enough, Chazz using Star Blast &amp; United We Stand with Mefist the Infernal General to commence with a considerable offense in exchange for a smattering of Life Points. Axel responded with a trio of Set cards. On the turns that followed, both sides ventured offensives, never straying from their guarded positions nor leaving themselves without a fallback position. Both knew too well that the School Duel rode on this one Duel. Over the course of a dozen both gained an upper hand of different sorts: Chazz held greater control over the field, but Axel had more Life Points and the means to reduce his opponent's. At long last, on the thirteenth turn, after almost all their respective resources had been expended, the Duel was concluded by his hellhound pouncing at Axel.

"CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP! CHAZZ IT UP!" the ecstatic cry sounded once the dust had settled. The deafening declaration filled the hall and hundreds of balled hands were raised.

* * *

**Okay, before anyone says anything, I know perfectly well that this chapter well deserves to be called rushed, but after weeks of toiling with this, I just really want to get this chapter over and done, not work myself down into the dirt and further still with mapping out play-by-play accounts of each Duel. I have other and bigger plans for this fic.**

**Originally, the prize to the winner was intended to be a Duel with Yugi with his Silent/Toy Deck from the Ceremonial Duel as it might look several years later. Regrettably, this detail had to be cut to get this chappie over and done with. Perhaps a different chapter can have him appear as intended here.**

**In this section (which I actually remembered this time), we only have a few created cards on this occasion.**

* * *

_**Lightning Attack | Normal Spell | Effect - **__**Select 1 monster you control. This turn, it can attack (even on your first turn), disregarding cards and effects currently in play that would disallow attacks.**_

**_Fundamental Force – Gravity | 4/LIGHT/Spellcaster/Effect | 0/0 | Effect - _****_During either player's turn, at any time, you can change the battle position of a monster on the field._**


	11. Enter the Shadow Riders I

**In this chapter, we begin the Shadow Rider conflict. It only took about eight months to get us here...**

* * *

A scroll rolled out of its own volition in a place where physical space was blue, revealing its contents for all to read. Unfortunately, nobody were around to do so.

At Central Academy, three days had elapsed since the day the Inter-School Duel tournament had been held, said document read. The foreign visitors spent a not-inconsiderable amount of time on trying to adjust to the general oddity of Central, because more than a thousand eccentrics could get up to some real craziness.

On the very evening of the tournament, Jim, Shirley and Blue were treated to a dozen students from band class marching around and performing sing-along versions of various eighties rock songs. That was unexpected by them for two reasons. The first was that they used no instruments. The second was that Central had no band class. Nobody really tried to stop them, since they weren't really harming or annoying anyone, and did in fact take requests.

On their first morning at Central, Aster received a series of challenges, mainly from fellow HERO users, but there were the occasional other. He accepted most, because they were an opportunity to scout the area for any signs of the metaphysical distortion Sartorius had sent him to investigate. What that got him were a handful of Duels and absolutely no leads.

Over the course of those days, Jim just decided to plain steer of those he did not know to originate from the prior reality; Shirley didn't much like 'em and he trusted Shirley's nose about these things. That decision led them to meet the naked man of the forest, mainly by accident. His next decision was to get the frick out of dodge.

And at some point, Zane and Alexis found time to stand around on the harbor, brooding, musing to themselves about their lives and their futures and their current situations, only occasionally breaking the solace of the other's company. The sun was setting on the scene, tinting the evening sky a vivid shade of fiery gold. Standing tall and aloof, they gazed stoically out over the quiet sea.

Elsewhen still, three of the Avatars of Gentle Darkness met up in the forest for what panned out as an hour-long bout of sorcerous experimentation. With such prospects as materializing Duel Monsters, telekinesis, all kinds of improvised tricks, and conjuring dimensional portals on the program, they went eagerly about their arcane task. In practice, it ended up with Alexis getting lost in other dimensions for the better part of twenty minutes. The blonde and her two friends both attempted making a way back, but their attempts were hampered by their inexperience in the field of dimension-wandering. It took about twenty-thirty attempts before the female mage located Earth's dimension, and by then she had been on six other planes.

On the second afternoon, Jesse joined an upstart cult (extremely upstart, as in, they just had robes and really nothing else) aiming for world domination. For the better part of an hour, they held a ceremony to summon a Duel Monster to the earthly plane, until the faculty stepped in to stop it. It had been good fun, the danish teen thought once it was all over, but no-one else thought so.

* * *

_When: January 29, 2005 | Where: Chancellor Sheppard's office, Duel Academy Island, Japan, Earth's Dimension_

The present time was sometime long after the setting of the sun, and the rise of night. The bright full moon hung high in the obsidian skies, bathing the world in its radiance. Clouds littered the night sky.

In a cave deep beneath Duel Academy, seven individuals were gathered. Save for one of their lot, they all shared one trait in particular: Their eyes were ablaze with scarlet, as was common for the bad guys.

An imaginary camera ran over the group.

One of them was garbed in a dead-red formal gown, one styled to put her beauty and her feminine curves on proud display.

One of them was a tiger.

One of them was a Level six Duel Monster spirit, of the demonic persuasion, in formal robes. On his stomach was a misshapen skull's face and above was a purple-skinned face sporting a pained countenance.

One of them was one of Duel Academy's own.

One of them was a former Pharaoh of egypt.

One of them was another Duel Monster.

"Our enemies have been tested," spoke their leader, his voice brittle and aged. "Our allies are in place. The hour is upon us - it's time to cover the world in_ shadow!" _

Almost to punctuate his statement, a drop of water fell into a cave pool.

"Which of you will lead us to battle?" he asked of his six brothers-and-sisters-in-arms.

His response came in barely a second.

"I shall lead this excursion, to triumph!" swore an prominently-accented woman's voice. In a moment's time, the cavern was filled with the sounds of flapping wings, while the others watched stoically Camula make her exit.

On this darkened and late night, there was only heavy rain as the main performer with the rumbling thunder on backing vocals. No-one sane cared much to go outside in the shoddy weather, which resulted in more than one crashing on the couch of another dorm, incidentally.

From his office, the school chancellor watched the stormy weather, stony-faced. Slight shock ran over his face when he spotted something unusual to brave the storm. That 'something' was a flying coffin, guarded by a swarm of bats. The coffin flew by, unfazed by gravity and the pouring rain, as though there was nothing amiss about that.

"And so, it begins," he noted gravely. "The fight... the _war..._"

In another universe, history had proven him wrong. In this universe, he might well get his worst fears vindicated.

The heavy-set man turned sideways, towards his desk. It was probably too much to hope for that Napoleon or Midori or Vellian or Lyman would be awake right now, ran a stray thought in his head as he sat down. He quickly got the laptop up and running, and logged onto the Duel Academy intranet. On there, he hurriedly accessed the section on the student body. Typing in specific search parameters, the display changed.

Five rows of ten Duel Monsters card backings appeared on the screen, collectively flipping over to reveal the current top fifty on the island; a group whose looks ran the gamut, and whose membership were primarily from the Ra Yellow and Obelisk Blue houses. The only Slifers in this listing were Syrus Truesdale, neatly boxed in at the third segment of the fourth row, Midori Hibiki, as the seventh member of the second row, and Lyman Banner at the first of the fifth row.

Simplest, the chancellor knew, staring focusedly on the aforementioned screen, was to select the top seven to safeguard the Spirit Keys, but conversely, the others might have talents that could be better suited for the challenges ahead. If one of them were guaranteed, Zane was, and he needed six more.

Number thirty-seven - the Queen of Obelisk Blue. Listed were a wide range of minutiae: Personal name, attained titles, assigned dormitory, Deck type (Eternal Ice) and favorite monsters (White Night King &amp; Queen &amp; Dragon, Glacial Queen), observations made about her skills and style (her Deck displayed a strong multi-faceted offense and a solid defense. Her primary shortcoming was that her strategy wasn't strongly geared towards high-speed summonings).

Number forty-four - Mindy. A first year Obelisk Blue. A power Duelist who used Evil HEROes and Elemental HEROes. In recent weeks, on the rise among the student body. Not necessarily a poor choice for a Spirit Key keeper, but the records of her Duels made it clear to him that she relied on her Fusion Monsters, almost to a fault.

Number twenty-eight - Chazz Princeton, a first year Obelisk Blue who he read favored an unusual menagerie of monsters - the Armed Dragons, the VWXYZ series, the Ojamas, various dragons and demons. _Unpredictable_ was his gaming style in a nutshell.

Number forty-nine - James Harrison, a second year Obelisk Blue whose strategy revolved around the Kuribohs and Winged Kuribohs, all ten versions of both.

Number three - Seika Kohinata, Obelisk Blue, specialized in snakes and other reptiles in general. _The Serpentine Beauty_ read as her sole title. Her record was less than satisfactory, as she rarely seemed to Duel despite being almost the equal of Zane and Harrington. That made her a less than preferable choice, and he went to look up another of the fifty candidates.

Perhaps, voiced another part of his mind, he should entrust the Spirit Keys to the faculty; despite their occasional eccentricities, they were a capable bunch. It was preferable to entrusting them to students.

Another part of his mind whispered that he had discussed the subject of the Shadow Riders with both the Kagemaru the super-intendent, Seto Kaiba and Mister Pegasus: Their skills should be the only criteria, not their age nor their place at the academy. Such had been the conclusion made then, but it still didn't sit right with him.

That very next morning, seven individuals had been chosen and were on their way to his office.

From the left side of the corridor, Doctor Crowler sauntered to the chancellor's office with Zane and Mindy as his entourage.

From the right side of the corridor, Professor Banner likewise approached, accompanied by Syrus, Chazz and Alexis.

The door to the office slid open. Wordlessly, the seven chosen ones stepped inside the brightly-lit room, one by one. Their every step was not the least bit hesitant.

"Welcome," Chancellor Sheppard greeted his unfortunate few. "I'm certain you're wondering why I interrupted your classes and asked you to come here. Well, I won't prevaricate: What I am about to ask of you will decide the fate of the world."

Somber silence descended over the room. It lasted barely a moment before Mindy's face lit up. "I'm in!"

Sheppard allowed a small smile. Despite the gravity of the situation, least there was something for him to find relief and amusement in.

"'The fate of the world', Chancellor?" Zane parroted with detectable skepticism.

"I realize that this sounds hard to believe, Zane," the portly man conceded. "But, I believe it to be the truth of the matter, and the crux of the issue is the Sacred Beast cards."

Varying degrees of confusion showed, readily on Mindy's face, as an arched eyebrow on Zane. Strangely, the term barely seemed to register on the faces of the other five, Sheppard noted. He preferred to not think about what that indicated, especially in the case of Lyman.

"Yes, I was wondering when we were going to get to that," the lanky teacher replied. Sheppard regarded him with a mixture of confusion and alarm. "Through a source I would rather not identify because of how long and convoluted the story is, I know the exact identities of the Shadow Riders aiming to get their hands on the Sacred Beasts."

Undisguised befuddlement flashed over the features of Sheppard, Zane and Mindy.

The man sputtered incoherently for a moment, before composing himself. "You do?!"

"Yes," Vellian affirmed. "An individual named Nightshroud, a vampire woman named Camula, an amazon who goes by Tania, a former egyptian pharaoh, a man called Titan, a man with the unusual name of Don Zaloog, and then there is Amnael, or as we know him here at Duel Academy," Sheppard turned bewildered, "is Lyman Banner."

Everyone in the room spun to look at the cat-carrying teacher.

"Lyman, is this true?" the principal demanded of the alchemy teacher. Zane took a few steps back, unnoticed by the others.

Banner was almost frozen in place. Then, he sighed.

"Yes, it is," he admitted after a pause. "But, Vellian, you were off about one of the names; I've never heard of this 'Nightshroud' before. Where you got that particular name is frankly beyond me."

Varying degrees of confusion formed on the faces of the current Avatars of the Darkness of Justice.

"But if Nightshroud's _not _one of the Shadow Riders, who is?" Chazz was quick to ask. Zane watched the whole exchange silently, his expression revealing his cluelessness on the matter.

"Evil HERO Malicious," Mindy supplied casually. Once more, the whole room turned, to focus on her. Alexis in particular looked on her friend, thoroughly speechless. The fifteen-year-old flushed at being the center of attention.

Sheppard sat back down, rubbing his forehead and feeling the onset of a migraine. This had gotten too far off-topic. "Please," his voice was firm and raised a tad. All seven turned back in his direction. "So, to summarize: Lyman is one of the Shadow Riders, Vellian somehow knows most of their identities, and so does one of the students. What _exactly_ has been going at this school under my nose?"

"I'll say a lot," Alexis put in. A single glance from Sheppard told her in no uncertain that this was neither the time or the place.

"Now, Lyman, would you care to explain why you are one of the Shadow Riders? Preferably as concisely as possible," he requested of the now-revealed Shadow Rider.

"It began several years ago, during an exploration of a tomb. Like Pegasus had done years before me, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon tablets that held ancient and mighty creatures: The Sacred Beasts," Banner related. "For my intrusion into their resting place, they cursed me with a disease beyond what modern medical science can remedy, which ravaged my body. With the art of alchemy, I constructed a homunculus to place my soul, once it became clear to me that my transgression would prove fatal. Even in this body, I live on borrowed time; my means of survival were the Sacred Beasts, and the immortality they might be able to offer. That was why I joined the Shadow Riders, to keep on living."

Sheppard simply nodded.

"Woooooow," the raven-haired chick marveled at the tale.

"Now, ... actually, I can't say that I care about your particular story, Vellian," Richard deadpanned, leaning back into his chair. "The past two minutes have been puzzling enough without explicating the 'how' of 'how you know the identities of the Shadow Riders', so if you don't mind, I'm just going to assume that you found out because of whatever extracurricular activities the five of you have been doing in the woods every once and in a while."

Alexis flushed momentarily. "You noticed?" the blonde asked sheepishly; she liked to think that she'd been covert about that.

"Well, duh," Mindy put in.

Ignoring the exchange, Sheppard asked, "and you, Mindy? How do you know of the Shadow Riders?"

"Well, this might sound kinda weird, but there was this green cloud-thing who took me and Jasmine to a parallel world when we went camping back in December, and it gave me the Evil HERO Deck," she explained. The continually dimming and resurging befuddlement on their faces now flared up again. "Then we Tag Dueled the Shadow Rider, who was a Duel Monster by the way."

Chazz broke down laughing. Sheppard felt distinctly in the mood for an early retirement and a wine cellar.

"Hello," Mindy winked and struck a muscly-kinda pose with her arms. "Badass Dueling genius hottie, here. Not that impossible."

Zane still stared blankly at his dorm-mate about the whole 'I Dueled a Duel Monster in another universe' thing, but composed himself. "We got off topic. Chancellor, what exactly are these so-called 'Shadow Riders'?"

Sheppard's features darkened. Almost instinctively, the whole room knew then to let silence reign, turning in his direction if they weren't already. With a sigh, he fished a file out of a drawer. "Very little is known about them beyond that they've operated world-wide for about three years, give or take four months," he read from it. "They've occasionally used the pseudonym _'Seven Stars Assassins'_ to mask their trail."

Banner informally confirmed that detail. Sheppard gave a disinterested 'hmmmm' as a reply.

"If I might ask, who exactly wrote that file on the Shadow Riders?" Alexis inquired, her eyes focused on the dossier.

"That's strictly confidential," Sheppard denied, shelving the file. He found it best to keep the activities of the Tenma brothers under wraps, especially from a student. "But I know what they're after: The Sa-"

"The Sacred Beast cards which're buried beneath the academy," Chazz finished before he could. "Way aheadda ya. And next, you're handing the Spirit Keys over to us. Rest assured, The Chazz is on the case!" he barked and pointed his thumb at himself.

Sheppard stared in disbelief, torn between finding the Obelisk's show of precognition amusing and grating. "To elaborate on points that Mister Princeton failed to cover, the Sacred Beast cards were, due to their immense might, hidden here, right below us all, deep beneath the academy. You see, this academy was built in part to protect the Sacred Beast cards. They and their powers were sealed behind a series of barriers called the Spirit Gates, locked with the seven Spirit Keys. I have reason to believe that their release will mean the end of mankind," he paused, to let it sink in.

To his utter surprise, only Banner reacted in a manner that he thought appropriate. Mindy was almost beaming. Zane was about as stoic as ever. The other four's expressions showed a mixture of unfazed boredom and unwavering (even somewhat exaggerated) confidence.

Well, there's really nothing more for me to tell you," Sheppard went on, and opened the box. Its content, the Spirit Keys, were revealed for all to see. "Just know that accepting the responsibility of guarding the Keys _will _make you all targets to the Shadow Riders. However, our side is not without advantages: An ancient edict on them stipulates that they cannot be stolen, only won fairly, which is why they will seek you out in a Duel. I doubt that it will happen, but if any of you wants to back away from this challenge, now is the time to speak up. Who here feels like saving the world?"

A moment passed, then came the answers.

"Eh," shrugged Mindy, "oughta be fun for an evening or two," and took a Key.

"Heh," Zane scoffed, and reached for one. "I too accept."

"Rest assured, Chancellor," Vellian grinned as he took a Spirit Key. "I have it on good authority that we pull through. Not an idle boast or a sentiment, just a good hard fact."

"Why not? It might even be fun to see what they've got," Alexis smirked, and took it.

Chazz wordlessly took his.

"Awww, you guys already did the cool one-liners," Syrus complained.

Lyman's expression softened. "And I suppose I'll be left out?" he asked in a resignated tone.

"Yes," Sheppard confirmed. "As a Shadow Rider, you cannot be trusted with one, so I will safeguard it instead. However, I have one question for you, Lyman: Where on Earth are the Shadow Riders hiding at this moment?"

Quietude settled in droves around the office.

Any form of jovialty or good humor evaporated from the alchemy teacher's face. He debated mentally which side - the school or the Shadow Riders - to remain loyal to. One side could mean his survival, and the other was rather ethically superior by way of not seeking the end of the world.

Barely a fourth of a minute had passed before his answer came. "Isn't it obvious, honestly? There's only one place on this planet where we can operate from while having Duel Academy under observation at all times, and that place is the school itself, the Abandoned Dorm."

A wave of gasps escaped the assembly.

"So, what's exactly the plan?" Mindy voiced, thereby puncturing the tension in the room. "I mean, other than 'we take these guys down and we save our school'?"

"I like that plan," Alexis intoned.

After a moment's thought, Sheppard announced, "the plan is a simple one: Tomorrow morning, we'll gather outside the Abandoned Dorm. We'll be taking this fight to them. Hopefully, we can thereby avoid involving the whole school in the coming conflict."

"Yes," Zane intoned darkly, "let's hope so."

Mindy rolled her eyes, finding their grim mood entirely baseless. Besides their entire planet becoming the center of a hell dimension and that they all would be doomed to eternal agony of all kinds, what was the worst that could happen? "Well-if-that's-everything-I'll-just-take-Lex-so-we-can-go-prepare!-Card-Shack-here-we-come," she announced as a single hurried word, grabbed the blonde's wrist and promptly absconded with her faster than anyone could manage to form a protracted objection to. Three-point-four seconds, and they were outta sight.

In her aftermath, a speechless silence hung thick within the air molecules of that particular room, for about eight seconds.

Zane was the first to speak. "Chancellor, I happen to have a question regarding this mission. If the Sacred Beast cards are as dangerous as you make them out to be, why haven't you attempted to get rid of either the cards or the keys?

"If it had only been that simple," Sheppard muttered. "We didn't, because we knew too little about what that might cause. If their card forms were destroyed, would that put an end to them or release them? And if they were destroyed by the destruction of the cards, what would happen with the mystical energies vested in the cards the mselves? Simply put, we refrained from destroying them because we feared the very real possibility that their destruction could be as devastating as their freedom."

* * *

Around the rectangular room that was locally and informally known as the Card Trade Room, Jasmine, Alexis &amp; Mindy were to be found, as they had been for the past ten-twenty minutes. The obsidian-haired teen was briefly occupied with the Fusion Monster compartment, taking a pile of twenty-thirty cards with her for examination, and walked back to the table.

"Spill," Jasmine smirked slyly. "What'd Sheppard want?"

"Just a lotta stuff about the Shadow Riders, like there's seven of them, and they're hiding down at the Abandoned Dorm," Mindy reiterated the details of their gathering while examining Fusion Weapon, "but get this: Professor Banner is one of them!"

Jasmine hesitated a moment, out of surprise. "Really? Okay, _that _I didn't see coming. You dead sure?"

"Yuh-huh," Mindy affirmed. "The real weird part? Professor Crowler already knew all about the Shadow Riders, like he was freaking psychic or something."

She mulled that over for a second.

"Okay, seriously, Lex," the ginger looked squarely at the blonde, "mind cutting it out with the whole secretive act and tell us what you've been doing in the forest? Because yeah, kinda obvious that there's a connection."

The Obelisk Blue glanced briefly at her friends. Jasmine stared back. Mindy looked sorta curious. Alexis supposed that it was long overdue she told them.

"I practice magic," she told them.

Jasmine shot her a skeptical and scrutinizing look. "That's all? Yeah okay, cool."

"'Cool' is right," Mindy was audibly excited and beamed with glee, standing up forcefully. "Show me!"

Brief-lived shock flashed over Alexis' features. That hadn't been really the reaction she'd expected; another part of her mind countered that she knew better, and had all along. "Sure thing, gimme a sec," she told them. Her eyes darted left and right, furtively examining the area.

A dozen metres away, in the Fusion card section, a stack of cards began to move up and out. As though guided by an invisible hand, they floated ploddingly through the air, and landed gently on the table right in front of Jasmine and Mindy.

"Telekinesis, huh?" the raven-haired female commented, unfazed by it, as though nothing was amiss. "Neat trick. What else did ya learn? Actually, never mind, let's keep that a surprise for now, more fun that way. Besides, Decks to work on, yannow."

Alexis nodded, and reached physically for the stack she'd levitated over. In unison, they began searching through the Monsters and Spells and Traps.

The blonde one shuffled deftly and quickly through the stack. Two Fusion Weapons; a Fusion Sage; a Versago the Destroyer; a Fusion Gate; three Double Fusions; a Quadruple Fusion; a Paradox Fusion; a Spiritual Fusion, three Kings of The Swamp.

The brunette one skimmed through her bunch. She found a The Earth - Hex-Sealed Fusion; two The Dark - Hex-Sealed Fusions; a The Fire - Hex-Sealed Fusion; seven Polymerization cards; an Alternate Fusion and a Gem Knight Master Diamond; a Re-Fusion...

The raven-haired one searched her pile, finding an Elemental HERO Infernal Flare Wingman; a King of the Swamp; a Fusion Barrier; two Fusion Back-Up Units; a Fusion Recovery and a Fusion Front Base; three Fusion Shots; one Fusion Birth.

Moments trailed by, in silence and in contemplation, before about twenty cards were picked from that particular collection, and passed to Mindy.

The Obelisk began looking through them.

That Versago the Destroyer thing, she found right up her alley - a badass-looking demon. His (or so she figured the creature's gender) ability was to fill in for another monster in a Fusion Summoning, which was one she saw great mileage in.

Fusion Front Base, however, she deemed a definite inclusion; a lasting defense against direct damage tactics was totally something she would benefit from - that one Duel with Jotaro the Ra Yellow last week had been all kinds of annoying because when he wasn't blocking her attacks or countering her moves, he'd been a pain with his marine monsters, oh _what a pain_...

An hour did pass, almost. Mindy left with five less Elemental HEROes, plus a slew of new monsters and traps. Her two amigas left with nothing but what they had checked in with, as even the thousands-broad gamut of Duel Monster cards in there had presented the ice queen and aspiring sorceress of Obelisk Blue with little of interest.

* * *

Seated in his chair once again, Sheppard stared firmly and vaguely worriedly at the current headmaster of Slifer Red. The headmaster of Obelisk Blue stood aside the man, his arms folded and his countenance focused on Lyman.

The alchemy teacher sat opposite Sheppard, stroking his cat.

"I'm certain you wonder why I asked you back here," the Chancellor opened detachedly. "The 'why' is a simple matter: Do you know what exactly happened at the Abandoned Dorm four years ago?"

Lyman hesitated to answer. He scratched Pharaoh just a tad harder than usual and received a disapproving mrrrow for it. All three men decided to overlook the cat's outcry.

"Yes, but..." he faltered for a moment. "I won't lie - you won't like the story, nor will you appreciate me much afterwards."

"We'll be the judges of that," Vellian replied, almost amused despite the business at hand. "Tell us everything you know."

Banner took a deep breath. _This_, he knew would damn him. "I'm honestly not sure where to begin... about four years ago, one of us - Don Zaloog, I think - concluded that we needed power. We turned to the very arcane powers we sought to awaken. That was the day everything changed for us. That day... we were contacted by a_ demon,_" he accentuated that singular word with what was in Vellian's ears pure fear.

"A... _demon?" _Sheppard parroted, skeptical and confounded. "Do you mean some kind of spirit creature, the sort that Bastion Misawa favors?"

Lyman shook his head. Pharaoh snuck a brief glance at his owner before turning away. "Not in the least. They look like humans or animals, but that particular demon looks like nothing I have a word for... save a Lovecraftian horror, if you're familiar with the works of Lovecraft."

Sheppard wasn't; the man decided to look the term up later. This talk of demons and magic reminded him of Midori's predicament, however.

"And do I want to know how precisely this alleged 'demon' relates to the Abandoned Dorm affair?" Vellian inquired coolly, regarding the man with suspicion.

Lyman paused again, this time for almost one third of a minute. "The demon we met... told us so many things about the universe, and helped us attain mystic power for ourselves by means of the Shadow Charms, objects crafted to imitate the legendary Millennium Items, their energies derived from the urban-mythical Shadow Realm itself. I would almost call it kindly, generous, if it wasn't for my certainty that everything that it did was for its own amusement or benefit, one or the other. All it wanted in return... was payment, so that was what we, _I_, gave..."

Shock washed over Crowler and Sheppard. A taut silence filled the room.

"You sold them?!" Vellian almost-hollered with restrained disgust, yet didn't move from his spot. "You sold OUR STUDENTS?! Almost fifty human lives, gone in a heartbeat, because you wanted to keep on living?! How could you?!"

He glanced tiredly at him. "I believe there is an old saying about desperate men that applies here."

"I believe I've heard enough," Sheppard spoke, his voice firm as steel. "Banner, these actions are completely unbecoming for a teacher at this institution. Our highest priority is to safeguard the students in our care, yet you treated them as barter for your own convenience, and while I regrettably can't file charges against you for this - what legal authority would believe this supernatural nonsense? - I can fire you on the spot and have you removed from the island."

Lyman sat in silence, processing that statement. The statement led him to a conclusion most undesirable. "Yes, yes... of course," he murmured absently.

* * *

_**Elemental HERO Infernal Flare Wingman | 8/Fusion/DARK/Warrior/Effect | 2500/2500 | "Elemental HERO Flame Wingman" + "Elemental HERO Necroshade" | Effect: **_**_Must be Fusion Summoned and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. Any monster this card battles loses 300 ATK/DEF for each "Elemental HERO" in your Graveyard. _**_**When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster in the Graveyard.**_

_**Triple Fusion | Normal Spell | Effect: Pay 1000 Life Points. Up to 3 times this turn, you can **_**_Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or your side of the field as Fusion Materials (you do not need "Polymerization" for these Fusion Summonings)._**

**_Quadruple Fusion | Normal Spell | Effect: Pay 1500 Life Points. Up to 4 times this turn, you can Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or your side of the field as Fusion Materials (you do not need "Polymerization" for these Fusion Summonings)._**

**_Fusion Barrier | Continuous Trap | Once per turn, you can negate the attack of a monster (either one controlled by you or your opponent). You must control a Fusion Monster to activate and resolve this effect, and if you do not control one, destroy this card._**

**_Fusion Back-up Units | Equip Spell | Equip only to a Fusion Monster. When it destroys a monster (on the field) by battle, its controller draws a card._**


	12. Enter the Shadow Riders II

**Lessee how quick I can get this one done...  
**

* * *

_When: Saturday, January 29, 2005 | Where: Central Duel Academy Island, down by the docks_

Alexis and Zane were standing with their arms folded, silently looking out at the quiet ocean and sunset and the vivid skies.

"So," the blonde voiced, her mind busily at work with deciding the least jarring fashion to drop the 'I'm the living incarnation of dark magic' bombshell.

Zane glanced fleetingly at her. "So, indeed, Alexis."

They quickly settled back into a comfortable silence, peering out at the deep blue below and burning red above. The silence was broken only by the sounds of the ocean. For the better part of two minutes, they stood.

"So, about this thing tomorrow, there's something you probably oughta know," Alexis voiced after a pause.

Zane inclined his head at her. "Just a wild guess, does it have anything to do with-"

"My trips into the woods?" Alexis finished his sentence, only half looking in his direction. Another part of her decided that her stealth skills needed work. "Yeah, pretty much. Well, just gonna tell ya flat out," she paused, and briefly turned to examine their surroundings, then looked squarely at him. "I've been practicing magic stuff."

Zane's expression promptly switched over into whatever middle ground there existed between dignified composure and WTF. Despite this, his body language showed no real shock; his arms even remained folded, with nary a twitch.

"Magic, sorcery, the paranormal, Harry Potter stuff," Alexis elaborated; her tone was only partially teasing. "I know it sounds kinda far-fetched, but it's true, I swear."

Zane glanced out over the ocean, contemplating the announcement. He wasn't certain of why or how, nor was Zane certain to feel about it, but his whole universe had changed in the span of one day. He wasn't even really certain that he believed it. Magic? Demonic Duel Monster cards buried beneath the school?

_This_ wasn't the sort of thing that happened in real life, this was the kind of thing that mangas and animes were built on. It was ridiculous, fantasy stuff; a part of him found the prospect of living a great fanciful adventure exciting, like almost any fictional hero he could recall.

"Hmmm... not the strangest thing I've heard today," Zane remarked blandly. Alexis watched him with curiousity. "Care to prove that one?"

Alexis nodded wordlessly, taking a moment to consider how to best accommodate him. After a moment's thought, she raised her hand. Beneath her skin, the blonde sensed the familiar tingle of arcane energy rushing through her, a feeling that she was growing to relish.

To his befuddlement, her hand began to shine dark. In the air in front of them, he saw something he had no clue what was.

Unease curled both up and down Zane's spine, his heart starting to race; he had a strong gut feeling that this _thing_ just wasn't meant to be possible, and that knowledge was made all the worse by the fact that it was the hot-blooded and sweet-tempered Alexis who was the cause of the unnatural thing that met his eyes.

Before them, compelled to do so by the Gentle Darkness, the process itself unseen and unfelt by both Obelisk Blues, on the smallest scale imaginable, the universe was plunged toes-deep into disarray. The metaphysical membranes that divided the twelve dimensions of this universe were peeled back (or perhaps more aptly, ripped open) by the magical forces she exerted, and various kinds of sub-atomic particles were flung around with wild abandon (some of these aided the process, others hindered it, most weren't relevant to it).

All that their human eyes saw of the process was that a transdimensional gateway formed and expanded, almost in the manner of a fog. On the far side, Zane observed another planet and the cosmic void, what he did not know to be the Neo Space region of the Dominion of the Beasts.

However, he was not the only observer of it. Over in Neo Space, the Neo Spacians caught sight of the dimensional disruption, but they were not alone.

That day, a green-haired human, girl in body and woman in age, from a non-existent era and universe, had journeyed far by her lonesome, and mostly by coincidence was present in that part of the dimension, to witness the tear in reality and the people peering through. It alerted her to the existence of other survivors, something she knew her lovers would like to hear.

Zane nodded bluntly in acknowledgment to Alexis.

* * *

_When: Sunday, January 30, 2005 | __Where: Central Duel Academy Island, by the Abandoned Dorm_

The seven chosen ones were now gathered deep in the local forest, like the Joestars of old. They were standing around outside in the front yard of the place, as opposed to storming the building and doing stuff about the criminal cult hiding inside.

"Anyone mind explaning what we're waiting for?" Alexis voiced to the group. Six pairs of eyes were already glued (purely metaphorically, because it would look pretty gruesome and weird if it was literal) to the chancellor.

The man in question looked towards the trail which they had used. _"It doesn't look like the Tenma brothers are coming," _he thought after a moment's waiting, and listening to the foliage for any signs of newcomers. "Okay, let us just go inside."

Barely before anyone could take a step towards the building, the doors opened by themselves. Inside, none could see anyone responsible for opening the mansion doors.

_"The hell how did that happen what's the hell going on?!" _Zane mused, a bit panicked. "Unexpected," he deadpanned.

Chazz scoffed openly, and began to saunter towards the haunted mansion. The charge of the trenchcoat brigade, it seemed, was on, Sheppard mentally wisecracked.

One and all began their leisurely jaunt, into the building, into the shadows. They stepped inside, to a hall. The seven observed, some more attentive than others, that it extended barely thirty-fortres before taking sharp turns both left and right, and that it was sparsely decorated.

Then, amidst their walk, silently, a wall grew out of the hall's left wall.

On the side closer to the Abandoned Dorm's entrance were Syrus and Sheppard.

On the side further from the Abandoned Dorm's entrance were Alexis, Chazz, Mindy, Crowler and Zane.

Momentary panic and confusion arose on both sides.

Frowning, Alexis spoke, "Stand back, guys, this might get intense," to the other four, her eyes flaring gold in the dim lighting of the hall. "I summon-" she paused mid-sentence, her plan to break the wall with a conjured Duel Monster dashed by a conjured hole in the floor, reflexively screaming in shock as she went down. Then, the hole closed after her.

Momentarily disoriented from her fall, and her vision blurry, Alexis saw a moment later that she had landed... somewhere in the Abandoned Dorm, that she now rather wished she wasn't.

The hall before her was a wide one, like the dining hall back in her Dorm, and in it, the Obelisk Blue saw a bunch of fancy-dressed mummies leering and staring at her. That had been unexpected, because she clearly remembered them not having henchmen, or henchmonsters she supposed, the last time she faced the Shadow Riders.

From his seat at the dinner table, Abidos III inspected the newcomer.

Rising to her feet, Alexis quickly inspected the area. The pharaoh's henchmonsters, she was sure she could handle, which just left the Shadow Rider.

"Okay, let's get this over with," the blonde announced, her voice carrying clear across the room.

She raised her right hand, fingers jutting sharply, and focused her mind. The twenty-something mummies began floating, for little reason that they or the Shadow Rider could see.

She extended her left hand, now enveloped in a shadowy aura, and on the dining hall floor, the fabric of reality was unraveled, peeled back, laying bare a region of a different dimension. Some of the levitating bunch recognized the place as the Dominion of the Beasts, but had barely a moment to dwell on it before being hurled through it.

A moment later, the world returned to its normal state, with nary a sign of the interdimensional portal. Now, Alexis and Abidos were alone in the hall.

Abidos had no idea what had just happened, and he couldn't bring himself to speak up about it out of sheer bewilderment. He knew intuitively that what she had done shouldn't be possible (not that he knew what exactly _it_ was in technical terms) for a human, yet it had to be. What kind of woman was she?

The blonde leveled a stern look at the Shadow Rider, pondering the best way to deal with him. A Duel was right out, because she had neither time for one nor interest in a Shadow Game. With that thought completed, Alexis raised her again-dark-glowing-hand, and Abidos felt himself both lose physical connection with the ground and with his Shadow Charm. In the instant he lost, Abidos felt himself lose his corporeality.

Blinking momentarily, Alexis released her telekinetic hold. His magic artifact fell to the floor with an audible clank.

Abidos mused tiredly that this time period was a strange one.

* * *

In a different part of the Abandoned Dorm, Mindy wandered a hallway, by her lonesome. On her hike, she consciously affected a cooler-than-thou air, and spent much time of her little stroll on eagerly thinking up cool one-liners for her next Duels.

Silence filled the air, broken only by the faded sounds of her footsteps and temporarily so.

Glancing ahead briefly, she observed that the path ahead of her was just as long as it was a minute ago. The graver insinuations of that weighed heavily in her mind, for a couple minutes as she strode further down the passage, in search of her friends and/or a way out of the place and/or a Shadow Rider to Duel.

A while later, Mindy wasn't sure how far or how long she had been walked, but her knee ached like hell so she figured pretty far. Out of the corner of her eyes, she glimpsed suddenly something, and turned right left.

Right then and there, she saw a staircase right in the middle of the wall.

She blinked, and stared at it. She was dead positive it hadn't been there, like five seconds ago. Shaking off that bit of surprise, the teen glanced up the dimly-lit staircase, a moment before she heard footsteps resound bluntly from further up the hall. Sneaking a glance in that direction, she was faced with a trio of knights-in-dark-armor.

"Halt where you are," one of the Dark Blades hollered at her in a distinctly female voice. The Duel Monster woman and her two compatriots immediately began to run towards her. Mindy turned reflexively, intending to run from them, but saw that her part of the hallway was now a dead end.

The dark knights marched up to her, inaudible despite their heavy armor.

"Why have you infiltrated our base?" one of the Dark Blades demanded, raising his sword at her.

Mindy mumbled almost incoherently, eyes fixed on the weapon leveled at her. The unpleasant realization that they weren't holograms, that a stab of that sword was gonna do a bit more than itch, had just occurred.

"ANSWER!" the same Dark Blade bellowed, poking his silver sword into her stomach. It stung; Mindy grimaced. Another part of her thought that would be the coolest day ever if it didn't have the chance of imminent death.

She attempted a response, but it came out mostly as a stammer, earning her a multitude of glares from them. She tried again, this time managing to speak clearly.

"I'm here to Duel those Shadow Riders, and, and, kick their asses," the Obelisk Blue boasted, with less of a stammer than before.

* * *

Elsewhere, Sheppard and Crowler had made their way to the room with only doors (as in, the walls were made almost completely of big wooden doors). Much to the chancellor's continual befuddlement, too, as he knew _for a fact_ that this part of the dorm shouldn't be here; whoever had devised this insanity was going to hear for it.

"Stay close," Vellian whispered, not in the mood to bother with formalities or pleasantries, glancing around. A white door to the left. A magenta door up ahead. A white door to the right. From where they had come, he observed that a row of four doors were open. That was a lot less doors than there ought to be.

Silence abounded. The two men looked about the area, speculating about the best way to proceed.

"How does taking the left door strike you?" Vellian suggested, with as jovial a mood he could manage.

"Taking the left door strikes me as a terrible idea that is only going to get us even further lost," the chancellor griped loudly, while debating whether to voice the suggestion of going back a few rooms. "We're running about like damned mice in a maze, Crowler!"

The lanky man glanced wearily at him. "Yes, I rather see that..."

Sheppard overlooked the remark, focusing instead on solving the mystery that was this part of the building. No matter how, he found no sense in it. It didn't even seem that the way out could be found by finding the right sequence of doors, whatever was 'right'.

"Look, if you actually have those mystical abilities you told me about, can't you just _magic _us some way out of here?" he demanded of Crowler.

"In a word, yes," Crowler was quick to answer, absently running a hand through his hair. "It just isn't that simple; if I took us to one of the other planes, I couldn't guarantee we'll ever return to Earth; while I realize that this sounds like magibabbly rubbish, trust me when I say that interdimensional travel is very much a gamble, and before you suggest teleportation or something of the sort, I must confess that I haven't tried it yet."

"What alternative do we have?" countered the chancellor with frustration. "To wander this maze until we die?"

Crowler couldn't deny he had a valid point there; he wasn't particularly keen on that himself. "Would you prefer to leave the students to this madness and these madmen?" he asked rhetorically.

"Obviously not," Sheppard shot back; his tone made it evident that Crowler was to cut any kind of crap, "but dallying about in here isn't helping them either. We _need_ a different tactic."

Crowler debated it mentally for a moment, then he raised his right hand. His mind was focused on opening a gateway out of here.

Sheppard observed that the limb was now somehow glowing, brightly and darkly at the same time. Faint unease slithered down his spine at the supernatural sight; he was sure that it was only a dramatic flourish, that the real magic was about to occur.

He was proven right when he saw (eyes widening) what he briefly thought was a dark mist form in mid-air before the magenta door, a notion disproven by the shadowy blob taking the shape of flames; restlessly animate, growing larger, dark embers separating from it and dispersing. Sheppard doubted he would ever grow comfortable with the paranormal like Crowler had; truthfully he didn't wish to.

On the other side, the two men observed that their exit destination was a hallway of some sort.

* * *

The dark knights strode with Mindy in tow. Their captive observed briefly that they were taking her into a dinner hall full of Horn Imps. On the far end of the room between the demon-occupied tables, she spotted a Dark Ruler Ha Des seated. She decided it pretty obvious the demon was the head honcho of these guys.

Ha Des shot a weary and annoyed glance towards his minions and their captive. Bringing captives to him hadn't been nearly as entertaining as they thought it, not the past times over the week nor today. Really, he didn't understand why they kept doing it in spite of his orders to stop. He supposed that this human was quite the pretty one, with her lustrous raven hair and curvaceous figure. The whimsical part of him wondered if she would accept a position as his colonel-odalisques.

"Sir, we found this intruder; the strange part is that she mentioned the Shadow Riders," one of the Dark Blades reported to the sixth-level creature, bowing in reverence.

"Interesting," the demon lord said, genuinely surprised by the report. The gears of his brain promptly began turning. Had there been a security breach? Sangan _had_ always had a loose tongue.

He shot her a scrutinizing glance. "Now, young lady, would you care to explain what possessed you to come here? Some crazed notion of challenging me to a Duel, I venture?"

"Well, I pretty much came here to kick major Shadow Rider ass, and _you,_" she pointed at the archfiend, "is topping the list."

Mindy pretty much immediately got the feeling that her choice of words had been ill-advised; from both tables, the seated Duel Monsters had turned and were glaring daggers at her.

The archfiend considered the prospect. He didn't really need to linger on this plane: The Shadow Charm, all the powers it held, were enough of a prize to be worthy of the meager effort he had expended on this 'Shadow Rider' business. If he accepted, he would either get an excuse to leave or a Spirit Key. It was perhaps overly optimistic, but there was no disadvantageous outcome to this situation, a thought that brought a triumphant smirk out on his lips.

"Hold your tongue, girl, unless you want it cut off," the female Dark Blade was quick to admonish her.

"I shall accept your challenge, human," the Fiend's gravelly voice resounded through the dining hall. Now, the demons turned to their leader, confusion and shock universal among their lot. A few thought him mad. "However, before we begin, I would like to verify that you indeed possess a Spirit Key, and to establish the stakes of the Duel. Care to show it to me?"

Mindy was quick to hold up her Spirit Key. "Here's how it's gonna go down: If ya lose, you and your little legions of hell posse here leave this dimension and never come back. If you win, you get the key."

"Your conditions are agreeable; truth be told, I was about to suggest the very same ones," the demonic Duel Monster informed her calmly, with his skeletal Duel Disk already prepped.

"DUEL!" hollered the demon and human at once, and drew their opening hands.

_"Sweetness!"_ Mindy exclaimed mentally, seeing everything she needed to win this. "I draw!" she declared, and glanced briefly to see it was an Avian. "First up, my Pot of Greed," she slid the card into place, and a grinning green jar appeared in mid-air; then she drew a coupla cards.

She observed that they were another Avian and an Anteatereatingant, and put them with her hand, then slid her used Spell into the card graveyard. "Next up, my Dark Fusion Spell, fusing Clayman and Avian into Evil HERO Tempest Golem," she put the spell in place; surprise flashed on face of the Dark Ruler, and several of the Dark Blades blinked wide-eyed at her announcement.

_"That is Malicious' card; where did she obtain one? This human grows more appealing by the second," _he mused to himself.

A dark vortex formed in the ceiling, alive with electrical energies and other kinds, and her two heroes flew inside.

What emerged was a strikingly lanky humanoid figure, almost like a match-stick man in proportions, made of Clayman's sort of rock. The being had six arms whose fingers were tipped with lengthy claws, and six wings longer than it was tall. This Evil HERO had two heads, almost those of its components. That Avian's mouth was lined with shark-like oversized teeth. That Clayman's head was adorned with stereotypical devil horns. The Fusion Summoning was concluded by really a small touch, the scoreboard specifying its strength. [2000/2000]

Mindy gazed with beaming admiration at the hella creepy thing, positive that it was the Coolest Thing Ever. A moment later, she focused on the business at hand, slid her spent cards into her graveyard, and Set two cards.

Dark Ruler Ha Des drew. "Oh, by the way," Mindy piped up cheerily, "now my Tempest Golem's special ability activates, one that can raise or lower the points of any monster by five-hundred, so guess _what?" _she teased him lightly.

Tempest Golem began snickering and laughing giddily, like a hyena was said to, and did so for about thirteen seconds. [2000/2000 → 2500/2500]

"How interesting," the demon lord complimented, "however, it will not suffice, for I now summon forth an Opticlops," the red-skinned giant manifested unceremoniously, with a presented attack power of 1800 and defense power of 1700, "and I shall strengthen my servant with the magics called Axe of Despair and Mage Power," the red devil's left arm became a blade attached to diseased flesh and his body briefly exuded a deep violet aura. Its strength rose almost incredibly. [1800/1700 → 3800/2700]

Mindy grimaced.

"Now unleash your might, my minion!" Ha Des roared. The red empowered demon charged at the two-headed empowered demon.

"Activate Trap," Mindy exclaimed. Her left card rose up, revealing it to be Negate Attack. Opticlops' axe arm struck an invisible barrier with a loud noise of metal scraping against metal, and he returned to his master's side. Said master quickly read the text of the unfamiliar card she had used.

"So your card bought you one turn, it doesn't change the fact that nothing you currently field can overcome the strength of Opticlops," the devil reminded smugly, as Mindy put Negate Attack away. A quick round of snickering came from the demonic spectators.

"We'll see," was all that Mindy could think of as a comeback. She knew he was on to something; with Spellbinding Illusion, Opticlops would only go to 3300 points, still above what Tempest Golem was about to reach. "I draw," she declared and did so, "so now Tempest Golem gains another boost."

The violet light flared from within the demonic do-gooder, and its strength rose once more. [2500/2500 → 3000/3000]

Mindy glanced at her drawn card and a beaming grin grew on her face when she saw what it was. "I summon now BREAKER, THE MAGICAL WARRIOR!"

To the left of Tempest appeared a knightly figure in ornate armor of polished scarlet and gold, with a crimson cape fluttering behind him in a wind that wasn't there. He carried both a shield and a sword. The regular display appeared quickly and showed the mage's stats to be 1600 attack points and 1000 defense points. As quickly as Breaker had arrived, his attack power grew to 1900.

"Now, in case ya don't know of his special ability," Mindy began her expositional onslaught, consciously affecting the voice of Yugi Muto as best she could, "when Breaker is summoned to the field, he gets a Spell Counter to power him up, which I can remove to destroy one of your Magic or Trap cards, so say goodbye to your Axe of Despair along with 1500 of his Attack Points!"

Breaker pointed his sword at the demon, and released waves of eldritch energy. Opticlops' axe arm exploded into a cloud of pixels, but the demon barely took any heed of that, or that his power dropped. [3800/2700 → 2300/2200]

"Tempest Golem, go beat him up," Mindy commanded her superhero. The macabre creature lunged for the Opticlops, and sunk his teeth into red flesh; his Duelist grimaced in distaste. The expected explosion ensued before Tempest Golem could lick up the orange blood of his victim. [Dark Ruler Ha Des: 4000 → 3300]

"Breaker, next hit is yours," Mindy gestured at the devilish nobleman. The mage charged at his foe and delivered a stab to the gut. Ha Das just took it in stride like a freaking badass. [Dark Ruler Ha Des: 3300 → 1700]

The sixth-level Duel Monster thought to himself that the girl was sorely lacking in skill, and her tactics simplistic; she wielded power aplenty and little besides. "Quite impressive, I suppose," the archfiend told her. "However, it shall not suffice against one such as I, a prince of hell. I draw and predict," he leveled a claw at her, "that you will empower your Breaker with the talent of your Golem? Well? Am I right?"

"Yeap," Mindy answered him. The violet aura enveloped the Spellcaster as his powers were heightened. [1600/1000 → 2100/1500]

He noted that his situation was worsening, that either creature could defeat him now. He decided to correct that oversight.

"I now activate the magic called Soul Exchange," the devil announced. "I may now ceremonially offer up your Tempest Golem to summon my Berfomet in defense mode," he explained. The heroic demon dissolved into golden lights on Mindy's, and the four-armed demon appeared in its place, genuflecting by Ha Des. [1400/1800]

"And as I succeeded in summoning Berfomet, I may also bring Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts to my hand from Deck," he added. "However, Soul Exchange sadly disallows me to attack this turn, but it hardly matters, for your greatest force is now lost to you! Turn, end."

Mindy drew and saw it to be E - Emergency Call; between that, Avian and Anteatereatingant, she quickly formulated a plan. "I place a card face-down," she announced. The announcement was followed up by the Solid Vision representation of it popping up behind Breaker. "Next, by sending these two cards to the graveyard, I Special Summon my Anteatereatingant," she went on while removing the cards in question.

A moment passed before a rumbling noise began. Then, an ant the size of an earthly elephant broke through the floor behind Mindy, standing over her almost protectively, leering at the adversarial archfiend. [2000/500]

"It's over, Ha Des!" the Obelisk Blue hollered.

"Breaker, get rid of that Berfomet," the sorcerer-knight was quick to carry out order, and struck down the first of the demons.

"Now, big ant girl, put an end to this,"Anteatereatingant (completely ignoring the misnaming) complied. A swarm of dog-sized ants crawled out of the pit their big boss had come from, their prey in their sights. In seconds, they had him overrun, biting and clawing savagely at the demon.

The holographic theatrics faded once his Life Points had hit zero. The archfiend took a moment to calm down after that onslaught. His cronies watched in shock.

"He has lost," murmured one of the Dark Blades.

"KILL HER!" shouted one of the Horn Imps. Almost immediately, dozens upon dozens of angered demons turned in Mindy's direction; the girl hurriedly took a cautious glance around the irate mob.

"Belay that," the Dark Ruler commanded his troops, _finally _rising from his throne. "This human has enacted no offense against us; we are from the legions of Hell, we are_ not_ savages! Now," he paused, inhaling almost in anticipation "Shadow Charm, I beseech thee, part the veil between the twelve realms and grant me a path to the Dark World!"

The Obelisk Blue saw, as the rest did, the Dark Ruler's mask begin to glow golden. Between tables number three and four, the tenebrous powers worked unseen (at the very moment, the embodiments of the Gentle Darkness sensed the rise in mystic energies as a pin-prick in their skulls) and opened a portal to a cliffside.

Ha Des pointed silently, his intent clear. Barely two minutes passed before the entire hall was vacated like... like... nevermind.

"And, _why _aren't you leaving?" Mindy deadpanned at the demon.

"I still have business in this world," the devilish one informed. She immediately shot an alarmed and suspicious look in his direction, which he decided to ignore entirely.

"Namely you, you lady. Your display of power during our Duel intrigues me, so how would you like to live an eternal life of wealth and triumph and joy; to have any and all of the creature comforts you can dream up granted you whenever and however you wish; to conquer town after town and continent after continent; to wield more power than any other human in history?"

Mindy looked, flabbergasted, at him. It took her almost half a minute to find her voice. "Okay,_ wow. _I'm flattered, I-I mean _really, _because that's pretty much the best offer I've gotten in my whole life, but kinda not interested."

"Unfortunate. You could have accomplished more than you reaiize. If you ever decide to venture in the conquest business, the offer still stands."


	13. Enter the Shadow Riders III

**Well, after a good deal of procrastination (as in, it was due on 25/08/2015), this chapter has been finished.**

* * *

Anna, deciding a moment's introspection only to be right and proper, was not one unaccostumed to unusual events. In her centuries of life, she had experienced many adventures with her beloveds, but these last several years, they had ceased altogether, which had been just fine by her. Truth be told, she preferred as much.

This realm had been a paradise in the years since the Pharaoh had defeated the Great Leviathan, and she could imagine nothing better than spending eternity here with Yuma and Tori.

The sight that now met her gaze gave her a feeling in her gut that their tranquil life together was nearing its end.

Sheppard and Crowler looked, mildly taken aback, at the red-haired human in monk's robes. The lanky man noted his/her resemblance to Jaden as almost startling.

"Who are you two and what is your reason for being here?" Anna was quick to ask, arms folded inside her sleeves. She regarded them with a modicum of curiousity.

The two men glanced wearily at the other. What were they to tell her, wondered Sheppard; what summation of their situation would not sound dubious, at the least? _'We are here because the school we work at, in a parallel dimension, is under siege by a cult hellbent on either the subjugation or the end of mankind'?_

"Well, I..." Crowler paused with a sigh. "You likely won't believe me, but we aren't from this world. Rest assured, we'll be leaving momentarily, so there's no cause for concern on our account."

Anna looked squarely at them. "Perhaps you could recount the whole story; I and my friends would gladly provide assistance with whatever predicament you are in."

"That would be very much appreciated," Sheppard replied immediately.

* * *

Zane glanced into the room, and grimaced. On that room's floor were rows upon rows of claw-like spikes; in scattered places were splotches of dried blood. On the walls were placed an assortment of instruments. On the far end, he caught a glimpse of a chair. Around the room's air was draped something pungent.

_"I don't want to know what happened here," _Zane closed the door again.

He cast another glance down the hall; the hallway was every bit as long and huge as the last few times he had done so, and so quiet that he felt reminded of the phrase, silent as the grave. _If _someone else, friend or foe, was down here with him, he could neither hear nor see anyone. He preferred to think that a good thing.

What ought he to do? The hall looked as though it went on forever in both directions, and if the rest of the doors concealed more nasty surprises like this one and the previous ones had, he would prefer not checking each of them in the least.

Quickly shaking the thought off, the Kaiser began his trek down the corridor's left end. Three doors and almost a minute's silence later, a fit of morbid curiousity came over him and he moved to check out the left-side door.

Before his very eyes, there was a creature whose arms and legs were shackled in dozens of chains, that looked as though it was burning.

Zane beheld it. It beheld Zane.

A moment later, the ninth level Duel Monster began screeching frenziedly at him with its mouths and its ears and body-parts Zane couldn't recognize, and thrash about in a struggle to break loose. Truesdale calmly closed the door on the angry beast.

He moved on and checked the next door. It contained another smaller passage, whose walls were adorned with masks of seemingly every shape and size and design he could think of. _"Fact," _thought Zane, they were facing real life Duel Monsters; it was equally a fact that there existed many Spell and Trap cards depicting masks. He concluded that these objects were the cards.

* * *

In a room with no exit, The Chazz was pacing back and forth. His face was scrunched over with irritation at being stuck where they were. He was dead sure that that there was something he could summon to get them outta here, but what? His W-to-Z machines had proven of as little help as Armed Dragon LV5. Burning Dragon would probably roast them alive if he tried to conjure it.

Alexis, the White Night King and Queen flanking her, eyes lit with gold, glared in frustration at the frozen wall. Evidently, she griped, the two of them attacking together hadn't been the solution to getting them outta here, so what would be? Together their special abilities could destroy anything in a Duel, but this wasn't one, so would that work? Even if it did, would it be safe to do?

"Hey guys?" Alexis voiced idly to her comrades, her arms folded. "If this dorm was a card on the field in a Duel, would you consider it a face-up card or a face-down one?"

Sitting over by the wall was Syrus who blinked; he wondered if he had heard her right. Chazz stared almost incredulously. A momentary silence came and passed before she got an answer.

"Well, I guess I would say an active Field Spell card, what with all the moving rooms and stuff," Syrus ventured. "Why? You're not planning to blow this place up... ... ... _are_ you?"

"I was considering it," Alexis answered promptly, half glancing in his direction.

Chazz scoffed throatily. "Just give us a warning first."

A renewed silence fell. The trio of Duelists and students and incarnations of dark magic pondered their situation, as best they were able. Waving a hand, Alexis dispelled her manifested creatures, having decided against the idea. Chazz continued pacing about. Contemplative and tense moments passed dully.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. . . . . . . . . .Ticktockticktockticktock-

Tick. Tock.

"Well, I was just thinking, guys," Syrus began, looking down. The pair looked at him. "About everything we've seen and done as long as we've been friends, these past few years. You're probably literally the best friends I'll ever have, and, well, I love you guys. I figured, since we probably aren't getting outta here alive, I might as well say it."

Syrus looked up.

Chazz's reaction was somewhere between skepticism and amusement.

Alexis looked briefly speechless, then her lips formed a pleased smile. "Love you too, Syrus," she said after a pause.

The pair turned to Chazz, looking expectantly at him. "Yeah, no, not getting in on it," The Chazz rebuked; they continued to stare unwaveringly, Syrus well into puppy-dog-eyes territory. "Okay, fine; just as long it stays here between us, The Chazz has a rep to uphold: You mean more to me than I really have words for, and while I probably could imagine my life without all of you in it, I'll really rather not. That goes for all of you; Jaden too, no matter how he deserves a kick in the balls."

They grimaced in discomfort, fleetingly, at that last bit.

"How about a group hug?" voiced the Slifer Red, enthused.

"Don't push your luck," the black-coated Obelisk rolled his eyes.

"Nice try, Sy," Lexi seconded, amused. "Also, for the record, we _are_ getting outta here one way or another."

Syrus stood up, and shot her a glum glance. "Not to sound unnecessarily pessimisstic, but you remember that, A, we're in the Abandoned Dorm, B, the walls keep moving around to trap us, C, the Shadow Riders are probably waiting to take us out one by one, and that, D, Kagemaru might have the Sacred Beasts already, right? It's not exactly a fun day at Kaibaland in here."

"So?" Alexis smirked. "What else could challenge us anymore?"

Syrus simply nodded. He wasn't entirely convinced that their odds were anything resembling good, but Alexis was onto something; how would their magic stack up against the remaining four Shadow Riders, or even against the Sacred Beasts?

"About Kagemaru," began Chazz,"what's the plan for dealing with him? In case you've forgotten over the years, last time it took Jaden at the top of his game with Banner's pretty over-powered card to pull it off."

Yet again, a silence thick with thought and anxiety enveloped them, momentarily.

"Fortunately for you, The Chazz has the plan," he announced, a smirk growing wide. They turned slightly in his direction. "A battle royale: Us against him. Now I know what you're thinking, that he'll never agree, _unless,_ we appeal to his ego, bait him by calling the power of the Sacred Beasts into question."

A silence practically so potent that one could hear sub-atomic particles on earth move on another planet ensued. The Obelisk and Slifer processed the suggested tactic. Unspoken went the agreement that they needed _some_ edge up on Kagemaru to match the aces-in-his-Deck that were the Sacred Beasts.

"It can definitely work, but we need a fall-back position," Alexis eventually said. Her eyes literally lit up, a sight no longer unfamiliar to the two boys. "Three guesses what's it gonna be."

Silence abounded once again. The building, which had been watching the people wandering about inside and finding them amusing, dedicated a literal minute of its time to arrive at the conclusion that indulging those three humans would be fun to watch.

In the left wall of their room, they quickly noticed that the wall was coming undone; in seconds, it had formed a new corridor.

* * *

On almost the bottom floor of the Abandoned Dorm, a region of the place where the floor was engraved with a ceremonial marking and the walls were little more than giant rocks haphazardly put together, Kagemaru was to be found in his life-support-slash-travel-machine. At the far left side of the room, embedded in a particularly huge slab of stone was a single eye glowing red, watching the human's every move.

Appearing to be soundly asleep in his tube, his front side was facing the column in which the Sacred Beasts had been resting and biding their time, just as he was, but were now freed from.

The bearded man was busily conducting a villainous monologue, oblivious to the cliche of it. "Yes, the moment is at hand. It has taken me years, years of waiting and plotting and preparing, but at long last my youth will return to me!" the man howled ecstatically in a voice both elderly human and machine monotone.

A bare-bones designed mechanical arm moved to take the sacred cards from the energy sphere holding them, and slid them into a standard-Central-model Duel Disk's Deck compartment.

The super-intendent gave them a scrutinizing glance through half-lidded eyes. Dozens of human souls had been sacrificed to empower the Sacred Beasts, to fuel their arcane abilities with spiritual energy, and though he felt a twinge of guilt or regret or something, he knew it to be justified. Thousands died each day across the planet; fifty lives was but a drop in the ocean of that. It was all a question of the bigger picture.

"Heed my voice, oh ye Sacred Beasts," the old man murmured reverently. "Lord of Searing Flames, Lord of Striking Thunder, Lord of Phantasms; grant me eternal youth, the power unrivaled!"

For a moment, it seemed they would do nothing, that he was to be denied the prize.

Then, the cards began to glow both scarlet red and golden yellow and vivid blue.

In the tub, Kagemaru felt their boundless power flow through. He howled in ecstacy, almost feeling every cell of his body _burn. _He felt his hair grow; his skin smoothen; all his muscles bulge; his body expand and practically _explode _with strength he had never thought possible.

He opened his eyes. His sight was restored to what it had been in his prime. Pleasing, to say the least.

Balling his fist, he punched the glass. The glass was splintered and the hand was lacerated. Fighting down the pain of it and his nausea at the sight as best he could, he fixed his attention on his blood-drenched hand while the tank's fluids rapidly poured out.

The cut was deep, but already the injury was mending, he observed with satisfaction. In moments, there was naught but unblemished skin there."So, _this_ marvelous gift is a part of the blessing of the Sacred Beasts," he said to himself, pleased with the sound of his voice. "How grave a wound might I survive? How much of my body can I stand to lose?"

Gripping the fractured glass, he found it as yielding as paper. A grin formed as the seriously ripped old-turned-young man began tearing out of his metaphorical cocoon. Once he was free, he took a minute to admire himself. The mostly-naked-save-for-a-really-long-waist-sash-thingie guy glanced down, finding that he now had some striking abs.

He suddenly heard the distinct sound of steps, and looked to the room's exit. There were a short Slifer Red, an Obelisk Blue, and a guy in a black coat. He arched his eyebrows, because he knew for a fact that they couldn't possibly be down here; the Royal Magical Library shouldn't have allowed them to get this close to him.

"What have you done?" he growled as almost a whisper. Dismissing that bit of treachery for now, he fixed his attention on the intruders. He quickly noted that they carried Duel Disk, which made their intent readily apparent.

"We're here to Duel," he heard the blonde speak first. "Your three Sacred Beasts against the three of us."

"Unless you're too scared to take us on," he heard the black-coated teen remark matter-of-factly. "No wait, I take that back, that was rude of me: You _are _scared to Duel us, that's perfectly understandable, I should be more considerate, shouldn't I, guys?

Syrus was about to speak before Kagemaru cut in. "That's quite enough. I don't know what it is you're playing at, but if you're so eager to be consumed by the shadows, then so be it! I accept your challenge," he snarled and activated his Duel Disk. "Let this Shadow Game commence!"

Alexis grimaced. "This would've been _so _much easier if we'd gone with the magic," the blonde griped under her breath, heard only by her two compatriots who mentally agreed.

Around the cavernous hall, in the mouths of the seven serpent statues, golden lights appeared at once with an audible chime. Beams shot forth, intersecting in the middle of the room, and conjuring the Eye of Horus from golden light, as an addition to the floor's decor. Both the mystical symbol and Kagemaru seemed to stare them down.

The fabric of reality was reshaped and recolored as the Shadow Game began.


	14. Enter the Shadow Riders IV

The face-off began without much ado, just the conditions for the match being defined in their disks. The four drew their opening hands, and their respective Life Point scores were rendered holographically for all to see. [Kagemaru: 12000] [Alexis/Chazz/Syrus: 4000]

Kagemaru opened the proceedings by drawing his sixth card.

The start of the Shadow Game was much to the displeasure of the Abandoned Dorm, who had wished to see a Duel rather than a portion of the Shadow Realm's eldritch substance. The Avatars of the Gentle Darkness were no more happy about it, their displeasure occupying a varying-but-small part of their minds, though they felt that way due to the risk of losing their souls.

Alexis breathed in sharply, her heart-rate quickening, her grip on her cards almost slipping. The Shadow Realm was about the last place or dimension she'd wished to go. Still, no use sweating it.

"My draw," hollered Kagemaru as he drew in an exaggerated motion.

"First, I shall activate the card, Graceful Charity," he declared and held up the green-colored card. "By doing so, I earn the right to draw three new cards, provided I first discard two cards from my hand," he clarified smugly. It did not elude his three opponents why that was.

Kagemaru quickly carried out the condition, sliding two of his Traps into his Graveyard.

"Next, I shall place three Trap cards on my field," his baritone carried loud and clear to his opponents. "With that done, I can sacrifice them to summon Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!"

His three cards were lifted up, their image sides displayed momentarily, before they were converted to bursts of gold-white light that shot upwards into the darkness. They collided in a silent flash, and it seemed that the sun was born anew.

The trio of Duelists looked grimly upon the descent of their foe, a mixture of emotions etched on their features. Chazz gulped, unheard and unseen, for all eyes were on Uria.

The flames died down as quickly as they had been conjured, laying bare the demon. The scarlet-serpentine-slash-Slifer-wannabe howled, with such force that the fabric of space almost became distorted from the sound waves. Gusts of wind blew away from the creature, brought about by its manifestation alone. It leered down upon the humans, thinking them only prey and food, its inner and outer mouths alight with a hellish flame. [5000/5000]

Alexis stared wide-eyed at the monstrosity, all but it and her racing heart forgotten. _"Okay, this wasn't such a good plan," _thought the blonde with rising nervousness, reminding herself to keep cool.

"You shall be the first humans to be killed by the Sacred Beasts," Kagemaru snarled, "and once your bodies have been reduced to smoldering ashes, Uria shall feast on your souls for all eternity. But don't let that discourage you; you won't even feel the tortures after the first few hundred years."

"If you're done with the whole 'fire and brimstone' speech, just end your turn," Alexis countered acidly. A pun quickly occurred to her. "Because you need to _chill out_, and I've got just the thing."

Kagemaru glared, unamused by the horrid pun. "I end my turn."

Alexis drew, and found it to be the Instant Freeze card. _"It'll have helped in any other situation," _griped the blonde, and took a Spell from her hand, holding it up. "First, I activate Pot of Greed, giving me two new cards," she explained the effect of Pot of Greed. What she hoped to draw were something of use. What she happened to draw were Emergency Provisions and Snowman.

"I put down three face-down cards," Alexis declared while she entered them. The systems instantly generated their representations, three cards with a gap in-between each one. Her teammates decided to check their face-downs; a few presses of the triangular button showed Star Blast, Crown of Command and Instant Freeze on the gem-like screen.

"Next, I summon the Blizzard Dragon in defense mode," Alexis announced loudly. A pillar of ice grew at almost impossible speed, and was cracked open by the dragon within. Once free, it began guarding itself with its wings. [1800/1000]

"And does he have a nice trick: Just by having him out on the field, he can freeze any of your monsters so they can't attack or switch position until your turn ends," Alexis explicated, smirking smugly. "And guess who I've got in mind? Let's see who wins, fire or ice! Blizzard Dragon, use your special ability on Uria!"

The ice dragon bared its fangs and the sphere of pure frost forming in its maw. With a screech, it let the blast loose, striking true at the gem on the demon-dragon's forehead. Uria barely seemed to be affected or even to take notice, but then a layer of rime began to appear.

Kagemaru looked in undisguised panic up at the devil-creature, almost unable to fathom it had been neutralized so readily. He composed himself quickly, knowing that he still held the upper hand. "An unexpected move, I'll grant you, but it is for naught. Though the Lord of Searing Flames is unable to attack, my creature is still beyond you to overcome," he bragged.

Chazz glared, knowing the statement was _right: _With 5000-and-rising Attack and Defense Points, a built-in Mystical Space Typhoon effect, _and _the ability to resurrect itself even stronger, the Sacred Beast was probably the toughest Duel Monster he'd ever seen. "We'll take your Slifer-wannabe down, just you watch, you senile old dumbass!"

"What Chazz said," Syrus seconded hotly.

Kagemaru simply chuckled. "Ahh, the folly of youth. Such false bravado. It shall truly be a pleasure to break your spirits. If you're quite done, young lady, I believe it is my turn?"

Alexis glanced at her hand, Doble Passe and Emergency Provisions, mentally weighing the pros and cons of putting Emergency Provisions down. Against Uria and the other Sacred Beasts, she knew that they would benefit from the extra Life Points; conversely, filling three of their five Spell/Trap zones had already been a risky move.

"I end my turn," she said, finally.

Kagemaru smirked as he drew. The Creator, he saw no use for, which he supposed a ironic pity in light of its tremendous power. "Uria, unleash all your fiery fury. Card in the middle there."

The tenth-Level monstrosity breathed gutturally, scarlet flames out at the card. The air around the burning card immediately became hotter than a sauna. Alexis slid Crown of Command into the graveyard.

"I end my turn," the man said, glancing up at the demon. The icy coating was melting, observed the super-intendent of the Duel Academies with satisfaction and relief.

Chazz drew Magical Mallet, and added it to his hand, for his other hand to hold on to. "First, Blizzard Dragon freezes Uria one more time," he pointed at the flame-devil with a forceful gesture. The low-level dragon blasted the scarlet demon-god with another blast of concentrated cold, freezing it solid. "Next, I activate Magical Mallet: By shuffling the Mallet and some cards from my hand into my Deck, I get to draw the same amount of cards as I gave up, and I'm thinking three'll do nicely," he had soon done as the Spell required, and drew again.

In order, he got V-Tiger Jet, Burning Dragon, Ojama Delta Hurricane and Lancer Lindwurm. They were good cards, but not what he'd wanted. "Next up, I activate the face-down card, Star Blast," he spoke, and the card promptly sprang into action, before dissolving. "Now, I can pay a thousand Life Points to make Archfiend of Gilfer a four-star monster, so I don't need a sacrifice to summon him!"

The standard Life Point meter immediately appeared; their shared total dropped from the clear green of 4000 and thereabouts to the yellow shade of 3000.

The sound of flapping wings could be heard as soon as Chazz put the card on his Disk. It took only a moment for the grayish-blue-skinned demon to descend to the field. He took a defensive position before his master. [2200/2500]

"A wasted gesture," Kagemaru scoffed. "Both your demon and its ability amount to nothing, less than nothing, compared to the might and glory of Uria."

Chazz snorted dismissively. "I put two of my cards face-down, and then I end my turn."

The cards were rendered holographically as Kagemaru drew once. All three of his opponents noted uneasily that he now held four cards, which spelled all kinds of trouble.

"Now, Uria, rid the field of their right-most card with your power!" Kagemaru hollered. The Lord of Searing Flames proceeded to sear the card with a plume of flame. Chazz's Duel Disk pushed Ojama Delta Hurricane out a bit, for Chazz to take. He did and quickly had it disposed of. Mentally, he sighed with relief, for that card had been of least use to them right now.

Kagemaru declared the end of his turn, and Uria the Lord of Searing Flames was completely defrosted once again. Then came Syrus' turn; he drew Jetroid. A quick glance at that card and those in his hand gave him an idea.

"I summon Digroid in defense mode, and put two cards down," Syrus stated simply. On the field appeared Shovelroid's green-painted double and two face-downs. [1000/1500]

"Next, Blizzard Dragon freezes Uria again," Syrus said. The dragon obeyed with an ice beam, flash-freezing the serpentine Sacred Beast. Kagemaru scowled, growing increasingly frustrated with that dragon. "I end my turn."

Kagemaru drew. He noted that his opponents were staring intently at him, as though they knew he had just drawn Raviel. Most likely they were playing mind games on him; it was impossible for them to actually what he had drawn.

He raised an extended finger sky-high. "Now, Uria, wipe away the card on the far right!"

The demon spat a single ball of dying fire out. It burned the card to ashes, just as its grander displays had, causing another momentary burst of heat. Syrus put the trap in his grave. Kagemaru was back in smirk mode when he ended his turn.

Alexis drew Icicle Cannon. Surprise flashed into being on her face, then became undisguised glee. "I equip my Blizzard Dragon with the Icicle Cannon card," Alexis declared, holding out a card whose image depicted the White Night monarchs.

A block of ice grew over the left hand of the Blizzard Dragon, and its strength rose. [1800/1000 → 2300/1500]

"Not only does it strengthen my monster, but it also confers an extra ability: Blizzard Dragon can now attack cards that you have in your hand," the blonde clarified. Shock flashed over Kagemaru's face. "Blizzard Dragon, attack the middle card in his hand!"

Kagemaru looked on as five transparent and oversized cards formed in front of him and Uria, their fronts showing them to be the cards he held. Blizzard Dragon aimed his ice-coated hand, squinting. About a dozen icicles were blasted from the hand, making several holes in what he saw was Premature Burial. The attacked Spell turned around. Alexis rejoiced mentally that it had been a Spell. The five holograms then faded away again.

"If we keep this up, Hamon's gonna be a no-show," Chazz noted, smirking.

Kagemaru blinked. "How can you possibly know of his summoning requirements?!"

Alexis ignored him. "Also, Blizzard Dragon freezes Uria for another round," the dragon fired the blast and cooled the Lord of Searing Flames off again. "That ends my turn."

The superintendent drew another card. "You've been a nuisance for too long. I now activate a Spell called Phantasmal Martyrs-" he said as he slid it into place, but was cut off.

"I counter-activate the Spell, Instant Freeze, putting Phantasmal Martyrs on ice for three turns," Alexis beamed triumphantly. As soon as the holo-visual of Phantasmal Martyrs was fully rendered, it froze over.

"DAMN YOU!" Kagemaru snarled at the top of his lungs. He balled his fists, wanting nothing more than to strangle the life out of these arrogant upstarts, that would be so easy and oh-so-_gratifying, _but the rules of Duel Monsters wouldn't allow that, so nor would the Shadow Game vested in it. "I end my turn. NO, wait-"

"Too late," Chazz conducted his draw in a single exaggerated motion, holding the card up before his face. Flipping it around, he said, "I activate Magical Mallet, and this time, my whole hand goes back in," he did so. He glanced briefly at his Deck. _"Please, gimme something good," _he wished as he drew his four new cards. He got Ojama Trio; Lancer Lindwurm; Monster Reborn; Mefist the Infernal General. _"Just what I asked for. _I sacrifice Archfiend of Gilfer to summon Mefist the Infernal General," Chazz announced.

The sixth-Level demon dissolved into golden light, and a dark-armored figure brandishing an axe and sitting on an armored horse took his place. [1800/1700]

"Next, Blizzard Dragon attacks your far left card," Blizzard Dragon calmly took aim, and fired five rounds of icicles into the designated card. Once the victim was turned around, it was seen to have been Resurrection Tribute.

"And then, well you probably know the drill, unless you're still senile now that you're young," Chazz grunted. "Blizzard Dragon freezes Uria," with a screech, Blizzard Dragon unleashed a laser of glacial energy at their foe.

"This Duel is _pointless. _You have nothing that can defeat my Uria; your gestures and maneuvers and stalling avails you nothing. Just give up and accept this realm's new ruler," Kagemaru spoke.

Chazz flashed a cocky smirk. "Why would we, when we're on the brink of winning? I lay one face-down card and conclude this turn."

Ignoring his retort, Kagemaru drew. "Uria, dispose of the face-down card in the middle," he commanded. This time, Uria unleashed a hideous wail, shattering the hologram of Supercharge right on the spot. "Now I end my turn, which means that my Phantasmal Martyrs is unfrozen," he observed coyly. Indeed, he was right: The face-down Spell card laid on his field, free of ice and ready for use.

Syrus drew, hesitating to look at what he'd drawn for a moment. Then he did: It was Steamroid. He sighed in dismay, a moment before a thought occurred. He quickly checked their face-downs on the Duel Disk again. "About summoning Raviel, not gonna happen: I activate Ojama Trio!"

The trap card popped up, and at the same time, the three Ojama brothers popped into existence on the other side of the field. "What is this?" Kagemaru sputtered in utter surprise. Once he read their scoreboards of Attack and Defense Points, he was even less pleased, and glared angrily at them. Why had he not killed them yet, he wondered frustratedly.

"They're called Ojama Tokens, and they're your problem now," Chazz taunted. "Bottom line, as long as you've got them clogging up your field, you're not bringing Raviel out."

Syrus continued. "Now, Mefist will attack the green Ojama Token."

The general of hell charged at the Token, crushing it underhoof. Kagemaru's points immediately fell to 11200. "Since Mefist just caused you damage, you're forced to discard a card, and I say the one on the far right," Syrus revealed.

Kagemaru cursed loudly and extensively and quite _quite _colorfully, bringing the proceeding to a total halt. After almost a half minute, he slid the Lord of Phantasms card into his Graveyard. The trio high-fived over their triumph.

"Next, Blizzard Dragon attacks the card on the far left, and freezes Uria_ again_," Syrus reiterated boredly. The same thing happened again; this time, the only deviation was that they struck Abyssal Designator down.

Kagemaru's turn proceeded quickly, with Uria exploding their last face-down, Negate Attack.

Alexis smirked, having drawn Ice Barrier. "First, I place three of my cards face-down," the Obelisk declared. "Now, Mefist attack the yellow Ojama Token! Infernal Stampede!"

The dark knight charged forth, and went to town on the Token monster, and like so, Kagemaru got two Ojama Yellows before he had none. Basic math, yo. Kagemaru winced with brief-lived pain as his Life Points dropped to 10400.

"Now," Alexis pointed, "You lose the middle of your hand."

Kagemaru deadpanned as he put The Creator away.

"Next, Blizzard Dragon does his stuff and attacks the card on the right," Alexis stated. Screeching in impending triumph, Blizzard Dragon simultaneously unleashed the beam from his maw and the icicles from his left hand. For who-knew-what-time, Uria was enveloped in a layer of ice, the growth of which over the Sacred Beast was visible as much as audible. In front of it and its wielder, the perforated hologram of Mispolymerization turned around.

Alexis grimaced in chagrin, as did the other two; they knew what was about to happen. Even in its frozen state, Uria seemed to smirk viciously as its strength grew to 6000 Attack Points and Defense Points.

"Well done, well done," Kagemaru clapped, his voice laden with sarcasm. "Though you have prevented the summoning of my other Sacred Beasts, it doesn't change the fact that your fates are sealed. Nothing you have can lay so much as a scratch on my mighty beast, and you cannot delay me forever. Just surrender and be consumed by the shadows!"

Alexis ignored his spiel. "I end my turn."

Kagemaru drew. "I now declare the activation of Monster Reincarnation; by discarding a card, I can return Raviel to my hand," he smirked like a smug bastard. The other three froze on the spot.

"Crap," Chazz hissed.

Kagemaru slid Revival Jam into his grave, and Raviel the Lord of Phantasms slid out. "How sad," Kagemaru crowed. "All that effort, and it amounted to nothing. Take solace in the fact that this was always inevitable. Soon, Raviel will be free," he said, and glared down at the Ojama Token then at Mefist. _"I must rid myself of that wretched Token, lest I lose Raviel_ _again_. I switch my Ojama Token to attack mode and launch an attack on the Blizzard Dragon."

The Ojama leapt at the dragon, who off-handedly breathed a beam of pure frost, flash-freezing it amidst the jump. The frozen Ojama collided with the four-star dragon, shattering on impact. Kagemaru grunted as his Life Points dropped rapidly, white-hot pain flashing through him. He felt only a twinge once the Token's power kicked in. [Kagemaru: 8800]

Alexis sighed her annoyance, her eyes rolled up. She hadn't expected this to be easy, but nor had she expected him to actually give up dang near _3000 _of his Life Points for a chance to turn things around, which was actually kinda impressive.

"I now end my turn again," the muscly man stated briskly.

Chazz conducted his draw in his usual dramatic fashion. He glanced sharply at the card; its image was of a certain mythical creature, a horse with leathery black skin and a burning mane, its eyes like pools of blood. He smirked.

"I summon Hii the Black Horse Beast," the Obelisk proclaimed heatedly and put the card in its place. From far off in the endless dark surrounding them, the hellhorse raced to its invoker's side, the tell-tale sounds of its steps preceding it. In a single bloody great leap, it came into sight of the four Duelists, whinnying forcefully and eyeing at Kagemaru. [1800/1200]

"And I know, not impressed, but you will be," Chazz went on. "See, Mefist's getting a change of steed; by equipping my Union monster to my General, he gets the ability to attack directly."

"No," Kagemaru protested. Alas, it was in vain. The Infernal General unceremoniously got off his bum and horse, to mount Hii instead; his beautiful golden tresses billowed behind him. His old horse dissolved into rapidly-fading pixels.

Once Chazz had sounded the order, the demon officer and demon horse charged into battle, delivering a solid strike with the axe squarely to Kagemaru's stomach. The man fell over, in almost unimaginable pain from the blow. His card was dropped and all-but-forgotten. [Kagemaru: 7000]

Alexis and Syrus mutually winced, sympathetically. Yeah, thought the blunette, he was the bad guy in all this, but an axe-to-the-stomach was an experience nobody deserved.

Moments passed, but still Kagemaru just laid there. Finally, Chazz spoke. "Guys, I think he's dead."

As if just to spite him, Kagemaru's handsomely-sculpted upper body moved up like rusty clockwork. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" he hollered ferally, almost frothing.

They regarded him cautiously, each stepping back a bit. Near-psychotic rage was the last thng Alexis wanted to deal.

"I'LL MURDER YOU I'LL BUTCHER YOU ALIVE AND EAT YOU WHOLE I'LL AGHGDGDHGGrHHRHRHRHHRHR!" Kagemaru ranted on quite a bit after that, entirely drowning out the background noise of the Shadow Realm, but it was mostly incoherent jibberish distorted beyond all comprehension by rage that redefined rage.

"Look, I'm sure you'll like to do all kinds of horrible disturbing stuff to us," Chazz deadpanned, "but are you gonna be done soon?"

Kagemaru promptly looked frozen with shock, before his face became warped with boundless rage. "Once I win this Duel, I am going to subject the three of you, and everyone who you hold dear, to every kind of torture and agony I can dream up. Just know that when your loved ones _weep _for release from the eternal hells I will send you all down into, it will be your faults that they are denied it."

They gasped and stared, wide-eyed. Alexis thought of her dad and Jasmine and Mindy; Syrus recalled Zane and Chumley; images of his brothers flashed in The Chazz's mind. The three exchanged looks, wordlessly agreeing that the psychopath needed to be taken down.

"Don't even think about it," Alexis snapped.

Kagemaru smirked. "Ah, how quickly we forget. His turn is over; there is nothing more he can do. Now, end your turn, you already-damned brat."

"Sounds like _you're _forgetting something," Chazz countered dryly. "Mefist's ability means you now have to discard Raviel again, so until you do, this Duel is stuck."

Silently, Kagemaru picked up the card from what he and they viewed-as-but-wasn't-actually the floor of the metaphysical dimension, and slid it into his Duel Disk's graveyard.

"I end my turn," Chazz stated sheepishly.

Kagemaru drew Cemetery Bomb, and inspected the field. He noted, much to his chagrin, that they had trapped him so efficiently as to almost have won; they'd played him from start, and even before that point. Though he was loathe to admit it, they held the tactical high-ground. _"My hand and field are almost empty, so Uria is my best hope of winning this Duel. Indubitably they are preparing to destroy it. If I carry on as I have, I will lose, hence I need to change my strategy before they can deliver another blow with Mefist, but into what? Destroying their face-down cards is the only thing I can still do with Uria, but refraining from that only worsens my situation... hhhh, to pick my poison, indeed..._ I end my turn without making any moves."

Surprise showed briefly on the faces of his foes.

Syrus dismissed it and drew his next card. "First, I use Pot of Greed," he declared and drew himself Cycroid along with Satelliteroid. "By sacrificing Digroid," the monster dissolved into gold light, "I can summon Satelliteroid in his place, in defense mode."

Directly above them, the cartoonish satellite array took form unobserved by the eyes of the humans. [2100/1800]

"And here comes the best part," Syrus grinned, and discarded Mirror Damage. "By discarding a card, I get to destroy one of the Spells or Traps that you have on the field, Kagemaru, so say good-bye to Phantasmal Martyrs!"

A single green laser shot down and tore a singed-edges hole in the Spell card. Kagemaru slid it in his graveyard, as annoyed with that move as with most of them.

"Just in case he tries to get Raviel out again," Syrus clarified to his friends.

"Nice thinking, Sy," Alexis gave him a thumbs-up.

Syrus didn't answer, but looked sternly at their opponent.

"It's over, Kagemaru. C'mon, you know that, we know that. There's nothing left for you," Syrus raised his voice, raising his balled fist. "It literally and logically doesn't matter what you get in your hand or put on the field, we have the means to destroy it all now, every type of card in every location, and soon we'll find a way to take your Lord of Searing Flames down too. It's only a matter of time before you lose, so just surrender already."

Kagemaru glared defiantly. _"The nerve of the boy. He believes he has me cowed? He believes that a mere speech can break my will? This is why I hate teenagers._ Never," he spat, then literally spat.

Syrus sighed. Just once he'd like the bad guy to surrender once they were all-but-beaten. "Fine; Mefist, attack Kagemaru directly."

The hellish duo were quick to follow that order; though Kagemaru had only a moment to brace himself, he managed to stay on his feet after this strike-of-the-axe, albeit doubled over from the pain. [Kagemaru: 5200]

Once he'd recovered enough to discard Cemetary Bomb, Uria's rise of strength to 7000 points ignored by all parties, Blizzard Dragon blasted Uria again at Syrus' order. After Syrus had declared the end of his turn, Kagemaru drew and what he drew caused a look of utter surprise to form on his face. Then, he laughed triumphantly, unnerving his opponents.

He held up the card. "I activate Offerings to the Doomed," the superintendent declared. "While it requires me to forfeit my next draw phase, it gives me the right to select and destroy any monster I wish, and I choose Blizzard Dragon!"

Almost simultaneously, their eyes widened, their faces scrunched over with shock and fear. They thought the same basic sentiment: This was the very worst thing that could have happened. None of them moved an inch when Blizzard Dragon exploded in a cloud of smoke.

Once the smoke cleared, Kagemaru observed gleefully the panic and dread on their faces. Finally they treated the Sacred Beast with the reverence it so deserved, he crowed mentally.

Alexis hesitantly glared up at the immense dragon-beast. Her conscious mind refused to let her forget just how exceedingly powerful it was, despite her best attempts at biting down her rising fear of it. "Guys? Any ideas?" she failed to keep the nervousness from her voice as she removed her destroyed cards.

Syrus inhaled gravely, looking at the cards in his hand. Finally, he answered her. "Sorry. Kinda think this is it."

"I got Monster Reborn," Chazz disclosed, eyeing the monster and the summoner cautiously "If we survive long enough, Blizzard Dragon's coming back-"

"But you won't," Kagemaru interrupted. "Uria, unleash your power on the card in the middle! TRAP DESTRUCTION!" he commanded. Uria screeched with almost impossible force, momentarily twisting the Shadow Realm space around the Emergency Provisions card, forcing it inside out and inverting its colors in the second before it shattered.

Kagemaru scoffed under his breath. "I shall end my turn. Be quick about yours, girl."

Alexis glared silently, not at Kagemaru but at the top of her Deck. Her gut instinct told her that her next draw would define the outcome of the Duel, though her sense of logic reminded her otherwise. Exhaling softly, she conducted her draw forcefully, swinging her card-carrying hand wide.

She took a quick glance at card, turning it in her fingertips. It was White Night King. Alexis smirked. It was their salvation from the Shadow Game's clutches.

"Hey, Kagemaru, remember what Syrus said about it being only a matter of time before Uria went down?" Alexis smirked like a cheshire cat. "Well, I just found one! First I'm having Mefist dismount from Hii the Black Horse Beast," she announced.

Chazz hastily moved the card in question from its Spell/Trap zone to a Monster zone; the holographic knight-in-dark-armor got off his horse, and Hii whinnied once it was a proper monster again. [1800/1200]

"Now I sacrifice both his steed and Satelliteroid," both on the field and above it, the holograms faded from the botto and upwards, "to summon the White Night King!"

On the field grew a pillar of pristine ice. It promptly splintered to reveal the man within, a man burly in the extreme, a mountain of a man. [2100/800]

"And remember what I said at the start of this about fire versus ice?" Alexis queried; she received and ignored a dismissive glare from him. "We've just found our winner, see, White Night King can destroy any card on the field, doesn't matter if it's a monster or a Spell or a Trap, as long as it's face-up, and guess what Uria is?"

Kagemaru's eyes widened. "NO! NOT THAT! You_ can't_!"

"Let's take a look," Alexis shot back. "White Night King, destroy his Uria, Lord of Searing Flames with your special ability and end this!"

The monarch of all things cold calmly raised his hand, fingers extended, at the Sacred Beast, eyeing the massive thing dismissively. Gusts of the northern wind, filled with ice and snow and inhuman temperatures, sprang forth from the hand, blowing upon every part of Uria and rapidly freezing the demon solid, perhaps for the final time.

Without warning, a crack appeared loudly in the now-icy forehead gem of the serpentine demon. Then another in its left wing. Then one on the back of the beast. In seconds, dozens had formed and several chunks of it were gone. Moments later, Uria had crumbled entirely.

"NNOOOOO!" Kagemaru screamed out. Alexis quickly ordered both the royal and the officer to go to town on him, reducing his Life Points to a fraction of what they were. [Kagemaru: 1300]

On the next turn, Kagemaru lacked any kind of option to fight back, for not only were both his field and hand empty, the Spell he'd used prevented him from changing that fact. He had sealed his own face, reflected the man bitterly. On The Chazz's turn, the Shadow Game ended with a single attack from Mefist that depleted Kagemaru's Life Points.

Unseen, the Shadow Realm sphere began to shift and shrink. The trio of students stood on edge for any sudden surprise from the super-intendent, feeling a strange and brief tingling sensation once it passed them by. In seconds, it was small enough for them to see that Kagemaru had vanished. The sphere quickly vanished itself.

Silence abounded,

Alexis sighed in relief, suddenly feeling more tired than she had in a while. "Think it's over now?"

A moment passed. "Not a chance," Syrus decided. "There's still a few of the Shadow Riders left."

Alexis managed a smirk. "Easy enough after this."

"Yeah," Syrus nodded vigorously.

"If you're done with whatever it is," The Chazz called from within the room's exit, "let's get going, the sooner the better."

* * *

**I just finished a 5-k Duel, and boy are my arms/head _tired. _To wrap things up, here are the created cards for this chapter.**

* * *

_**Hii the Black Horse Beast **_**_| 4/DARK/Beast/Effect | 1800/1200 | Effect: Once per turn, you can either: Target 1 monster you control; equip this card to that target, OR: Unequip this card and Special Summon it in Attack Position. While equipped by this effect, the equipped monster can attack directly (A monster can only be equipped with 1 Union monster at a time. If the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle, destroy this card instead)._**

**_White Night King | 7/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect | 2100/800 | Effect: Cannot be Special Summoned. Once per turn: You can destroy 1 face-up card on the field._**

_**Icicle Cannon | Equip Spell | Effect: Equip only to a LIGHT or WATER monster. Your opponent takes no battle damage from battles involving the equipped monster. The equipped monster gains 500 ATK/DEF, and can attack cards in the opponent's hand (reveal the attacked card, if it isn't already revealed, and if it isn't a monster, treat it as one with ATK/DEF of 0).**_


	15. Enter the Shadow Riders V

Cyber End Dragon unleashed every erg of its power upon the Amazoness Paladin, which, given it had 8000 points of pure pain courtesy of Power Bond, was likely to smart like six and a half dozen hells.

Tania howled in agony as the Super Strident Blaze attack consumed her, broiling her flesh. Once the super-energized plasma was all gone, the Shadow Rider was left dazed, weakly standing and letting off a modicum of smoke.

She panted heavily. "Wh... what else ya got? Huh, t-thoughn guy?"

Zane glared and pointed a finger at her. "Run along, Shadow Rider! You're beaten, now leave this island," he demanded forcefully.

The anthropomorphized Amazoness Tiger hesitated momentarily to answer, the pain of the attack rapidly subsiding out of her body. "You wish, big boy," she winked.

Zane gazed sternly, inwardly surprised by her statement. What was she up to?

"Sure, you won one game, but what did ya expect to accomplish?" Tania beamed. "That I would drop dead or something? Forget it, this wasn't a Shadow Game! You're still on our turf, I'm still around, and we've still got lotta rematches to get through. Besides," she added eagerly, holding her clasped hands high, "I could never let someone as dashingly handsome as you go, Big Boy."

Zane eyed her with a mix of wariness and curiousity. Whatever he'd expected from fighting a cabal plotting the end of the world, it hadn't been flirting. A tactical retreat was in order.

Quickly making his mind up, he bolted.

"Hey, come back honey!" called the amazon after him. Because she had hesitated momentarily, Zane was already half-way down the corridor.

Shrugging, Tania decided to let him go; the last thing she wanted was being thought a stalker.

After running a few minutes, Zane finally stopped, panting audibly. He felt exhausted, sweaty, his heart pounded a hundred KM a minute, and his left knee ached something fierce. A smile grew on his face. He'd not felt this alive in weeks.

He heard footsteps, and looked down the corridor on the left. There, he observed five people, the Dark Scorpion gang all with deep-seated scowls, marching towards him. He promptly decided that another tactical retreat was called for.

He ran like one of the furies down the corridor on the right.

On a different floor, Mindy was herself waging a Duel, but with only a modicum of boredom and effort attached.

The dark-haired teen didn't know what the deal was with their minions, but every one of them brought the same strategy to the party: Get some Netherworld Soldiers out, power them up a few times with Netherworld Acolyte. As far as Fiend-type tactics wents, theirs were just lame; beating one of them basically meant she'd beaten them all. Still, it made things easy, easier than she expected fighting a gang of supervillains would be like.

"Now, Inferno Wing, take out that Acolyte," she ordered off-handedly.

The demon, coated in silver courtesy of Lunatite, conjured a ball of blue hellfire in her hands, and let the inferno loose on the red-skinned imp with a gleeful shriek. The tiny demon howled in agony, but its cries went ignored. It burned to death, then detonated into a cloud of smoke. With its passing, the Horn Imp lost her remaining 1300 Life Points.

Sighing, she braced herself for death. She was soon surprised to find that nothing had happened. A look of puzzlement formed on her face.

"I," the Horn Imp murmured, breathless, "I live...?"

Mindy smirked mischievously. That right there was an opening for so many comebacks. "Well, yeah, but I guess ya could be a zombie or vampire or something up that undead alley. ... wow, I just said that seriously, I love my life right now."

Not hearing her, the demonic entity began pacing about the room, lost in her joy at impossibly being alive like a kangaroo spared a dentist visit. Mindy decided after a moment to leave and traipsed away mostly unnoticed by the fourth-level Duel Monster.

"By the Rhorthi, what strange manner of dimension is I in?" half-wondered-and-marveled the Horn Imp. Longer than a moment later, she noticed that Mindy was gone. "Curse me for a fool."

In the same brightly-lit hallway that Zane had earlier dithered about in sauntered the chancellor of Central Duel Academy, the headmaster of Obelisk Blue, and a trio of atlantean knights.

Sheppard snuck another glance at the seemingly endless number of doors around them, a glum look on his face.

How long and how much had he failed to notice concerning the Shadow Riders?

If news got to Mister Kaiba that his school had been used as the headquarters of a cult, he might lose his job; if the press and public caught wind of it, Duel Academy's repute would be sullied, maybe even for years. He didn't even want to think of how the magical aspect of the current crisis could affect the matter.

Vellian inspected one of the doors on the right. It was brown and wooden, a bit taller than he was, and was fairly unnoticeable. He was certain that behind it laid something nightmarish; it would be weird otherwise.

Hermos, in the corner of his eye, noted where Crowler was looking. "I advise you to exercise caution," he said to the teacher, readying his sword and himself. Barely a second later, the group halted. Timaeus and Critias likewise steeled themselves.

Crowler glanced briefly at them, before he turned to the door. Hesitantly, he opened it up.

Inside, they observed only a fairly large room that was moderately lit. At the room's center laid a pool filled with a red substance that Sheppard was unsure was slime or blood. He decided blood, if for no better reason than that the Shadow Riders seemed to be nightmare fetishists.

Hermos recognized it quickly. "Keep your distance, friends, for what you see before you is a fiendish thing indeed."

"What?" droned Vellian scathingly, "you mean to tell us that the pool of blood is bad news? Thank you, but I rather figured that much."

The knight ignored his remark. "I speak not of the blood, but of what rests within."

Alarmed looks flashed on Sheppard and Crowler, both of whom looked over the blood tub for any sign of whatever trouble he was hinting at. They saw it once a dozen bloody human hands began rising from the depths, followed by entire arms.

The appendages leered over them, longer than any of them were tall, swaying slightly. Crowler rushed to close the door on them before they got taken by the arm-things.

"What was that?" breathed the chancellor.

"We know their kind as Fiend Hands," supplied Critias. "They are second-level Zombies, and not very powerful creatures even by the standards set by second-levels."

Crowler nodded, glancing down the hall. If one of these rooms harbored a monster swamp, what did the rest of them contain? He was almost hesitant to check, and decided not to. The last thing their little group needed was a front-seat view at the horrors of the Abandoned Dorm.

A part of him recalled what he had been told by the Celestials, that Duel Monsters of the tenth level and higher were strongly Lovecraftian demi-gods if not worse; another part of him, inspired by that thought, wondered if they would actually have to contend with the Lovecraft pantheons somewhere down the line (the thought strangely appealed).

"Vellian," the chancellor derailed his train of thought, audibly exasperated, "if you're finished daydreaming, we need to find them before it's too late."

In one of the Abandoned Dorm's countless halls were the three amigos currently. They continued to stroll through the quiet region, until a drawer came flying from the left-turn up ahead, crashing into the wall and splintering into hundreds of wood fragments.

The noise of that was soon drowned out by the almost thunderous noise of many people running.

The Chazz's was scrunched over with incredulity. "Okay, that one I didn't see coming."

"What," commented Alexis, "the fact that someone just tossed a dresser? You really need to get out more, then, because that happens every day."

Chazz stared, with a mix of amusement and annoyance at the blonde. They immediate broke into a run, and from where the dresser had been tossed, they found another hallway. In it was a mob and and Zane backing away from said mob.

Almost reflexively, Syrus reached out both with his arm and mind. The angry mob began to float inexplicably, which understandably puzzled them universally. Unseen by all, a door appeared on the far end of the hallway connecting to the floor of elsewhere in the building.

Zane eyed the horde, befuddled by the sudden turn of events. He immediately felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" questioned Alexis.

"Yes," answered Zane, relieved to hear her voice.

The four looked to the floating Duel Monster horde, frowns and glares painted on their faces. The flock threw bewildered looks at them, with the occasional murderous glare.

"Once I get down from here," threatened a green-skinned demon, "youse gonna suffer for this!"

Chazz rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I don't think so. Alla you, listen up! Kagemaru's gone, the Sacred Beasts are gone, it's OVER! Just go back to your own dimensions instead of wasting our time."

The Kaiser eyed The Chazz, caught off-guard by his choice of words. "_Are these creatures from a parallel world? How does Princeton know **that**?"_

Don Zaloog and his four partners swapped smirks. The Gentle Darkness wielders were openly befuddled for a second or so.

"So sorry to disappoint," taunted the leader of the quintet, "but you've got this backwards. It doesn't matter one whit if we don't have the Sacred Beasts, because we can still take over the world the ole-fashioned way. Whatta say to that, gang?" asked Don Zaloog.

He was met with uproarious approval from both his lover and partners-in-crime and underlings.

"Not happening," Zane contradicted sternly, "not while we're here to stop you!"

"AND THEY BE NOT ALONE!" hollered a masculine voice unfamiliar to all those in the hall. Startled, Syrus' telekinetic hold ceased, and the Shadow Rider forces fell down to the floor in a tangle heap of bodies.

On the other side of said pile, the last students standing spotted a trio of knightly-attired strangers, along with two certain members of Duel Academy's faculty.

Sangan stared, wide-eyed and speechless, at the three warriors. These, he knew, had to be them, the Knights of Atlantis, the very beings he'd been told myths of as a Kuriboh tyke ages ago, the ones who came before all others. Timaeus glared down at the demon horde. "Do not rise," he spat. The Dark Scorpions wordlessly agreed it best to not argue with the fabled Knights of Atlantis. The horde was almost collectively disoriented, both from their sudden bout of levitation and from the arrival of the three atlanteans.

"Okay, now I'm lost," said Alexis, somewhat pointedly, to the knightly folk. "Who are you guys supposed to be?"

Hermos genuflected pompously before her; her cheeks tinged bright pink at the gesture. "We are the Knights of hallowed Atlantis, young lady, and we are here because Earth was imperilled by these miscreants."

"I am Sir Timaeus," the teal-armored knight clanked his chest.

"I am Sir Critias," said the cobalt-armored knight simply.

"I am Sir Hermos," the red-armored knight said as he rose.

"Well, thanks for the help, really, heaps appreciated, but we've got these guys under control," Alexis answered.

"That's good to hear," Sheppard put in.

The teal-armored atlantean glanced briefly at the motionless flock, steeling himself for a possible attack. One could never think demons harmless, he knew by instinct. Brushing off the thought, he looked to the humans. "If that's so, allow me to escort these people away from this realm."

Relief showed on the features of the blonde, raven-haired dude, bluenette, and Zane too.

"That'll be great, thanks," Alexis beamed.

Timaeus raised his sword, which lit up, enveloping the horde in the same light. That did it. The entirely pile hurried to get up and, either away or at the atlantean, but in the span of barely two seconds, the mystical light flared up.

Before their eyes, the army faded away in a moment. Moments passed before anyone spoke.

"What did you just do, exactly?" the chancellor inquired, with an accusatory undertone.

"I did not slay them, if you insinuate that," Sir Timaeus countered. "It was but a minor spell, one of transportation. They are safely over in the Dominion of the Beasts, where our friends are prepared to keep them from harming anyone."

The stout man nodded, pleased. All the better if they made it through this debacle without killing anyone. He desired not himself nor Vellian nor his students to become accessories to murder.

"Can I get a status report?" Sheppard asked brusquely. "How many of the Shadow Riders have been beaten so far?"

Alexis looked at Crowler. Crowler gave the students curious looks, before beginning counting mentally. Zane shrugged matter-of-factly. "I beat one of them, so at most four, chancellor."

"And, I took care of another one," intoned the blonde, "and a third was among the ones Timaeus just did whatever that was with."

"So, assuming both that there aren't more Shadow Riders than the seven we expect and that none of the defeated ones have returned," Sheppard noted sternly, "there are at most two left, plus the fact that Mindy's whereabouts are still unspecified. Are we all clear on that?"

The five confirmed it, each in their own fashion.

"Then let's move, people," he commanded imperiously, and pointed to a door a stone's throw down this corridor, the door he and Vellian had come from. "I happen to have a hunch that that hall is the key to finding her."

He stomped off, the gang following without complaint. Silently, they entered a wide hallway that was white as snow in almost every detail, apart, that was, from the abundance of doors that littered both the right and left side of the hallway, possessing of virtually any color one could dream of.

"Careful," Zane cautioned them. "There's a lot of nasty surprises hidden behind these doors."

Silently acknowledging the warning, the group set about finding Mindy. They gravitated into two groups; Zane and the teenaged Darkness Avatars, the D-A faculty and atlanteans in the other, each checking their own side.

The gang of four made their way to an orange door. Unhesitatingly, The Chazz opened the door.

What met their sights was downright _nasty. _The same hulking beast that Zane had happened upon before, what was left of Gerard in body and soul, howled ferally at them with its twelve mouths. Shock flashed over Zane's face, heart-rate skyrocketing at the sight and gesture.

The Chazz hurried to close the door.

"And now we know where _not _to check," deadpanned Alexis.

"What tipped ya off, Lex?" Chazz scoffed.

Zane looked them and Syrus over, rather surprised how unfazed they were by the event. Literally a hell-monster had just howled them in the faces, which he was fairly certain merited more of a reaction than a couple of jokes. Syrus barely even seemed to think anything of it. What half-concerned-half-reassured him was that the generally level-headed Alexis thought nothing of the fact that the hell-monster was only confined by an open and thin door.

Though, it led him to wonder how large a fraction of the lives of his best friend and brother he wasn't privy to. You didn't get so at-ease with the supernatural and horrific unless there was a story attached. Another part of him decided he needed to press the issue of where Alexis had gotten her magic from sometime.

While he was deep in thought, Alexis snuck a split-second glance at the orange door, mentally preparing herself to act in case the whatever-it-was broke out, then looked to her friends. On Zane's face, she noticed the tell-tale signs of his glum mood, how his eyebrows were furrowed together.

"Something on your mind, Zane?" asked the handsome blonde, with a note of concern. Chazz and Syrus looked the taller seventeen-year-old.

"No," he assured her. "Just let my thoughts drift a moment."

The gang quickly resumed searching for her.

In the next room to the right, behind a green door the four found only a book on a pedestal. Said book detailed rituals involving mass sacrifice, and the death of death, and of time, and of names, that sort of thing. Its contents went unread, because Syrus closed the door again.

On the other side of the hall, Crowler opened up to an empty room and closed the blue door again.

Alexis opened another green door, and saw Sheppard behind it. The chancellor and student looked bewildered at one other. She turned around, taking a look at thing. The man was standing on the other side of the hall, in front of an open door four doors over, where the blonde caught a glimpse of her own back. She turned back to Sheppard, who looked puzzled and slightly disoriented by the impossibility of it.

"Okay, this is getting really weird _and _creepy," the blonde deadpanned. "You know, I thought these rooms were just moving around, but there goes that theory."

Zane took a moment to inspect the geometrical oddity. Biting down his rising headache from trying to puzzle out how that was actually possible, he gave his opinion. "I recommend closing that door."

Alexis did so, and the gang quickly resumed checking rooms full of nightmares and otherworldly horror.

Crowler opened a yellow door, and laid eyes on a room. From the ceiling hang curtains, red as blood, making only a straightforward path in to walk, and at the path's end, Vellian saw himself. The other him sat on a couch, dressed in the Obelisk Blue uniform as he was, flashing a predatory sneer. Vellian's face showed undisguised panic, yet he stared unwaveringly. The other Vellian wagged an index finger lethargetically, almost hypnotically. vellian breathed heavily, forcing himself to slam the door.

The whole gang turned, surprised, to him. Sheppard noticed he looked a good bit distraught than before, not that he could fault him for it.

"What did you see?" asked Critias gently. "What nightmare had these demons concocted in that room?"

"Nothing, nothing," Crowler dismissed with strained calm. "Just myself sitting on a couch, no gore, no horror. Look, I think I'll prefer us getting out of the dorm as quickly as possible, so let's carry on."

Nobody offered up any objection. The searching continued, and the gang peered into a dozen rooms. Some turned out to be empty, others contained their own brand of nightmare. Mindy was found after fifteen minutes of checking. She had been in a room, where the ceiling and floor and walls had all been mirrors that reflected one another and themselves infinitely.

The dark-haired girl gave the Legendary Knights a quick look, and figured there was some explanation.

"Well, the gang's all here," she noted to the group with a airiness that didn't register on her face. "Did you take care of the other Shadow Riders yet?"

"We've dealt with three," reported Lexy. "You?"

Mindy grinned widely. "I whooped his butt."

"Way to go, Mindy," Alexis high-fived her.

"So we're down to the last one," Zane noted out loud. After a moment of consideration, he spoke again. "Are we certain that four Shadow Riders have been beaten, and not all five?"

Looks were exchanged and the idea was considered. Zane received a few half-hearted confirmatory replies.

"Sooooo," Mindy looked curiously at him. "We're done here?"

"That is possible, Mindy," answered the chancellor. "As things stand, it is possible that there aren't any Shadow Riders left here, or that they weren't all here in the building when we came in, or that they've somehow defected from the group before we came or because of the ruckus we caused."

Mindy looked around, thinking back to her match with the Dark Ruler Ha Des. "Yeah, that kinda happened after my match. Ha Des got so impressed that he offered me to take over the world with him, and I guess it's kinda obvious I turned him down."

Chazz rolled his eyes. "_Kinda_?"

Mindy glared and stuck her tongue out.

"In any case," Vellian piped up, calling their attention on him, "I think it best that we get out of here as quickly as possible. Any ideas, gang?"

Alexis was the first to speak, doing so almost immediately. "Yeah; downstairs, before we went to Duel with Kagemaru, the house pretty much just let us go down to him after Chazz got the idea, so I was thinking we can do that again."

All eyes rested on her. They considered the notion. Zane noted that Alexis talked as though she believed the Abandoned Dorm to be alive, and decided that likely: _Some_ sort of intelligence was behind the ever-shifting interior, certainly. Mindy nodded enthusiastically.

Moments passed; the house deliberated, unnoticed to the humans and spirits; a door opened a distance away.

"The time has come for us to part ways," announced Hermos to the earth natives. "With the evil here vanquished, there is no reason for us to stay," he raised his sword. In an outburst of white light, the knights vanished from sight.

None of the people back in earth's dimension reacted strongly to the sudden event, and made their ways outside, into the forest.

Chazz looked around; at the trees; at the evening sky and the drifting clouds and the setting sun; at the part of Duel Academy that towered over the tree-tops; at his best friends in the world. His features softened. It was all so damn beautiful, more than he'd ever really thought about. Syrus had been onta something with his cheesy declaration.

Zane noted off-handedly that the sun was already setting, though they had gone into the Abandoned Dorm this morning. He allowed himself a light chuckle.

"So, we officially saved the world," Mindy opened to Alexis and the faculty members, trying to sound all nonchalant and too-cool-to-care. "What's next?"

Sheppard gave her a blank befuddled look, while Alexis and Crowler sighed in mutual exasperation.

"I-... Miss, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but there is nothing 'next'", spoke the principal. "Once this Shadow Rider hogwash is well and truly over, we go on with our mundane lives, and I believe that it is for the best."

There was a momentary silence, fleeting like snow and the joys of summer.

"Aww," complained Mindy, then shrugged, blowing a lock of hair out of her face. "Is it over _now?_"

"No," argued another voice, distinctly female and deep, from the distance. "Now you die."

The whole gang turned sharply to the left where they all saw a woman, sporting long green hair and garbed in a red dress that accentuated her curvaceous figure, arms folded, glaring with murderous rage, standing in the trail ahead. There seemed an air of forced calm around her. Her deformed face betrayed her vampirism to Mindy.

"Guys, she's a vampire," the dark-haired chick casually told them, stepping back from the angry undead. Alexis stepped protectively in front of her, keeping an eye glued on the vampire. _"And people say watching Buffy never taught me_ _anything,"_ Mindy remarked mentally, proud as punch with herself.

"Yeah, and she's also the only Shadow Rider left," added Syrus, for the information of the group. Zane nodded, wondering calmly how, if she was actually a frickin' vampire, she was not burning up or turning into dust, or whatever happened when vampires walked in daylight.

Camula stared incredulously at them, inspected them all as detailedly as she could with all her senses: The dilation of their eyes, the speeds of their hearts, their most minimal of motions. There was no real fear to see from any of them.

The girl with the mop of black hair in the back was looking at her, openly fascinated, with deep-brown eyes that dilated almost more subtly than Camula could see at this distance.

The blonde girl had put herself in front of the raven-haired living girl, a defiant intent look in her hazel eyes.

The portly man, who she remembered as the school's principal, and the turquoise-haired boy were only on the nervous side.

_"Quite the pity,"_ thought Camula._ "There is nothing quite like dread to sweeten the taste of murder and blood. Ah, but which one should I slay first?"_

The Chazz raised a hand in protest, flashing a characteristically cocky smirk. "Look, now's really a bad time, but if you can come back in a week or five, we'll be glad to send you packing, all the way back to the grave."

Camula scowled, and decided him to be the one who would die first. He dared speak such insolence to Dracula herself, to mistress Carmilla? She eagerly anticipated the sound his snapped neck would make. Then she heard a female voice from behind. "I strongly recommend you leave, vampire."

Camula turned around, faster than either the humans or god present could register, and laid her eyes on an alabaster face in a blue hoodie. A pair of stony blue eyes looked squarely at her.

The vampire gasped. "The abomination!? HERE!?"

"Also known among friends as Horakhty or Hora," the Egyptian God deadpanned, raising a hand in greeting to the Avatars of Gentle Darkness. Alexis returned the gesture with a wide toothy smile. "Now, I believe I asked you to leave, yet I notice you remain, Camula."

"How can you be in this dimension, you foul monster?!" Camula demanded.

Horakhty showed no affront at the insult. "The elder vampires claimed their final rest centuries ago," she said with an air of finality.

Camula maintained her glare, reminding herself that killing the humans would avail her nothing, not bring the Shadow Riders nor the vampires back. It remained unspeakably tempting to run over and snap their wretched necks.

"Shadow Charm, I beseech thee, take me far away from this land," she spoke to the arcane necklace. A light enveloped her, and spirited her away.

Once the vampire regained her bearings, she found herself in a colorful meadow that extended hundreds of kilometres, a wider region than even her sight and hearing could reach the edges of.

Back in the forest, the humans and spirit were left to contemplate what had just transpired.

"Okay, it's over now, yeah," Mindy said sheepishly, and stood on edge, awaiting something else to crawl outta the woodworks. A moment passed. Nothing did.

Vellian walked up to Horakhty, confusion etched on his face. "Horakhty, can I ask you why exactly you're here?"

The merged deity studied him levelly. "I came to assure myself that you were doing well, and noticed Camula's presence. Due to past encounters, I deemed it best to keep a watchful eye on her. Pardon me for saying so, but I doubted you were well-versed enough to overwhelm a vampire of Camula's age."

* * *

Scarcely an hour had passed for Duel Academy since the defeat of the Shadow Riders.

The majority remained blissfully oblivious of the climactic battles fought to ensure their safety. The few exceptions had been changed forever by their occult experiences in the Abandoned Dorm. Of course, some had changed more than others.

Syrus had returned to the Slifer Red house, physically and mentally exhausted. He had simply gone to his bedroom and passed out like a log, brother. His comrades hadn't much of a clue about what had made him so tired, but the whole dorm agreed it to be a story for another time.

The Chazz went back to his dorm room, for another evening of reimagining his deck and strategies, as well as an e-mail conversation with Slade and Jagger, to assure him they were safe from Kagemaru and Camula and, whatever other lunatics that might want to harm them.

Alexis and Zane withdrew from the hustle and bustle, for another round of brooding by the ocean. On this occasion too, they had company: Mindy and Jasmine, natch. The four friends, well, Alexis' three friends spent the evening mostly in silence, save for a moment spent by the blonde explaining what little she knew of Horakhty.

Crowler went off for an evening jog around the island. Sheppard went back to his office.

The door slid open, letting through a man garbed in a green-grey version of the school uniform. The chancellor looked up from his computer at the visitor, and inferred from the man's glum frown that something had happened. _"As though this day hasn't been hectic enough. Oh well, matters pertaining to the students are easier to manage than an invasions by the legions of Hell."_

"I'll like to make this quick, if you'll permit, sir," the man spoke flatly. "I regret to have to report that Lyman Banner is dead. He jumped overboard amidst the voyage back to Japan. We weren't able to recover the body."

Sheppard gasped, staring wide-eyed at him. He leaned forward, sighing and covering his eyes with one hand. "Please," he droned, "give me some solitude."

The man nodded, and turned to leave. A moment later, Sheppard spun in his chair, with the after-trail of a tear visible on his cheek. He sighed again, deep in thought. Minutes of somber silence passed before he turned around again and picked his phone up.

Outside the Slifer Red Dorm, Midori watched a practice Duel between Lyle and Chumley. She was sure that at least one of them could make Ra Yellow with a bit more practice. Suddenly, the ringing of her pocketed phone got her attention, whereas the boys stayed engrossed in their game.

About fifteen minutes, Professor Hibiki entered the principal's office.

"Midori, I have some news, of varying degrees of unpleasantness," spoke the Cyber Duelist.

The statuesque woman wordlessly encouraged him to continue.

Sheppard steeled himself for the statement. "Lyman, I'm sorry to say, is dead. Suicide."

Midori's eyes widened, a note of sorrow appearing in them. Her arms dropped to her sides. "And that's what you wanted to share with me?" she asked with open disdain. Lyman being gone would be difficult to adjust to. "Anything else?"

"Earlier today, I and Vellian and five students went into the Abandoned Dorm to fight a criminal cult known as the Shadow Riders. Based both on what I saw there and a statement from Lyman beforehand, I suspect strongly that the entire incident has been one of the Netherworld's activities."

Midori nodded in agreement. People vanishing into thin air was common whenever Hell was involved. Part of her pondered their fate - had the King made those poor souls into succubi and incubi, or another sort of fiend, or simply dumped them in the Shadow Realm?

"So, therefore I must ask: Based on your experiences with the Netherworld, which of its creatures could be behind the bargain the Shadow Riders, and what might it do now that one of its schemes have been foiled?"

Midori breathed detectably. "It does. I'm certain that it is the King, the Netherworld's closest thing to Satan, that's involved here."

Sheppard gasped in shock.

"As for what we can expect, I somewhat doubt the King will try anything," she related. "He seems to consider himself a businessman more than a conqueror, so he'll likely continue on as he has in the past: Making deals and taking people into his kingdom and service. Rest assured, I'll ask him about his intentions before my next mission."

Sheppard nodded, feeling both relieved and unnerved.

* * *

In a wide circular hall that was illuminated only by the torches affixed to the wall, there were only two things to note.

The one was a glowing sphere, hued purple and midnight-black, formed of eldritch energies and substance, embedded in the floor. Within its boundless confines, a hundred billion souls had dwelt, some for barely months, others for untold millennia. Many had suffered endlessly and unspeakably during their time there from reliving all their worst nightmares and memories, others found refuge in their own broken minds. Only a few found the strength of heart to weather hell.

The other was a vaguely bestial four-legged blob of slime with wings and red lights where there oughta be eyes. The archfiend was peering deep into the metaphysical pocket dimension, curiously searching and probing its depths, gazing at soul after soul after soul. _"Surely someone in this void can be of service? Where are you, my lieutenant? Where are you?"_

He came to a dead halt, at an unfamiliar humanoid. The man seemed to be howling in agony or rage. The King inferred he was new, and recalled Kagemaru from project thirteen, and realized that he had attained the Sacred Beasts and immortality, yet had been defeated.

"Worry not, little man, though you have been bested once, your day is not yet done," the demon spoke solemnly.

* * *

**Well, finally done with this. Thank goodness.**


	16. The Graduation Match - Redux

_When: Friday, February 11, 2005 | Where: Central Duel Academy_

The sun was setting, the skies over the island hued burnt silver. On one of Duel Academy's coasts laid the Obelisk Blue male dormitory building: A palace of a mansion that in every detail exuded grace and style and wealth and luxury, the esteemed home of the elite students as well as the best of the best the school had to offer to the world.

In one particular bedroom, Zane was lying on his bed and adrift in his own mind. On his mind was the recent test he had aced, and what Crowler had told him then: That he could choose any opponent he wished for his graduation match.

_"Who will I duel?" _the teen thought with the mental equivalent of a mild scoff._ "The only one worthy," _he thought to himself, and rose from the bed. He departed his room and quickly made his way to the common room.

The room he entered was a wide hall, with a number of tables and sofas scattered across it mostly in a random fashion on the end of it closer to Zane. What little thought for interior design vested in it seemed mainly to be to ensure that people could comfortably navigate the area. On the far side was a open space where two Obelisk Blues were currently duking out it; one with Elemental HEROes, one with Masked HEROes.

Zane scanned the area briefly, and as he expected, Atticus was there, sitting nearby in one of the round couches with Alexis and Chazz and Seika.

The blonde flashed a smile in greeting when she noticed, while the blond gestured Zane over. The Kaiser sauntered closer to their spot of the hall. The teen folded his averagely broad arms, and delivered a characteristically stern stare.

"I'll like to talk to you, in private," he requested. Atticus and Alexis rose quickly from their seats, while Chazz and Seika were less motivated to hurry.

After the fivesome had completed the walk back to Zane's bedchamber, he welcomed them silently. Once they were inside, he closed the door and motioned for them to take seats in the couch. He himself picked out a spot of wall to stand with his back to.

"I wanted to talk to you about Syrus," the Kaiser addressed the four Obelisks. "I'm not going to prevaricate; _most," _he stressed the word and gave Seika a chiding look, "of you know my little brother better than I do, or at least the person my brother has become."

Seika rolled her eyes, a bit irritated with his remark but decided to not retort: He was right, she didn't know that Syrus kid, other than that he was apparently good for a Slifer.

Alexis studied him curiously, arms relaxed at her sides. "What exactly are you looking to hear, Zane?"

Zane allowed a minimalistic smirk. "Whether you'll agree with my decision that he's going to be my opponent in the grad match."

A booming silence erupted. The three blue-and-white-garbed and one black-coated Obelisks stared speechlessly at the Kaiser. If nothing else, Zane supposed wryly, his decision made that happen, which in its own way made it worthwhile.

The silence was one that Seika and Chazz simultaneously punctured: "NO DAMN WAY!"

The two raven-haired Blues stared at each-other in momentary surprise over the synchronized statement, then looked back up to Zane.

"WHY?!" Seika demanded loudly, rising in indignation. "A freaking _Slifer!? What are you thinking?!"_

Zane glared, peeved. "That Syrus has the skills to challenge me," he argued.

Atticus raised his left hand. "Kinda see what S means," he said. Seika nodded, a tad pleased by her squeeze yet also annoyed by the pet name. "You're the school's best, Zane. Yeah, Syrus is a great duelist, but... I'm not so sure he's in your league yet."

Zane shot him a look. He saw what the couple meant, but the things he'd seen over the months from Syrus made him certain his brother was a sound candidate for the grad match.

He recalled when they were children. Syrus had been both too naive to look before leaping and too soft-hearted to actually end the Duels once he was in a position to do so.

Today, virtually all the flaws in his brother's Dueling had been scrubbed away by the adventures he'd been through and the friends he'd made, or so Zane surmised. What they told him only furthered his certainty that Syrus was the best pick. Besides, the academy_ could_ use a Slifer Red champion.

Seika let out an annoyed sigh. The last time she could remember having been this annoyed was the beauty pageant after Alexis creamed her and, just to rub it in her, let her have the title anyway. _"Stupid arrogant blonde bitch,"_ she frowned darkly at that memory. Atticus noted the displeased look on Seika's face, and wondered if she maybe wanted to talk later.

* * *

Today, the Obelisk Blue arena was jam-packed. Everywhere one might care to look, there were students and faculty to be seen; a sea of primary color uniforms littered the spectator seats. Hundreds of faces watched expectantly while the brothers Truesdale emerged from the left entrance.

Syrus took a quick look over the spectators, as he marched to his spot. He swallowed slightly, mentally readying himself for this. He turned around, to face his older brother.

Zane eyed his younger brother dispassionately. "Ready, Syrus?"

Syrus nodded. "Ready, Zane. Let's Duel!"

Without any further hesitation or conversation, they drew their five cards. The health meters were immediately rendered holographically on both sides, specifying their Life Points to be the full 4000 for all the spectators to see.

Motivated by the Duel Disk's brief beeps, Zane conducted the first round's draw. He noted it was Pot of Greed. "To begin with, I activate Pot of Greed," Zane announced, and wordlessly drew two cards while deliberating about what moves to make.

Inspecting them with a single look, he added them to his hand. After a bit of shuffling around with said hand, he dumped Pot of Greed into his grave.

_"What would be best against Syrus?" _wondered Zane. _"His Steam Gyroid is a near-perfect counter to my Cyber Dragon, so I need to counter his counter. My De-Fusion will cover that and his other Fusions. Both Cyber Larva and Valley can provide a secondary defense. That sounds like a good plan."_

"Next, I summon my Cyber Valley in defense mode," he went on, placing a single card on the disk. Before him appeared a serpentine machine made of lustrous silver metal. The power meter was rendered, explicating its attack and defense power as both being simply zero.

Syrus watched it warily, curious as to what abilities it held. _"Something tells me this won't be pretty."_

Silently, Zane placed a face-down card which became rendered behind the cybernetic being. "I end my turn," he said matter-of-factly.

Syrus drew, and saw Polymerization. The proverbial gears of his noggin began turning. _"Think, me, I need a strategy... Zane's trademark is summoning Cyber End Dragon to finish his Duels, so once he does, I can spring my De-Fusion on him... hmm, no, Zane'll probably see that coming. Maybe his face-down card is something that it'll negate my De-Fusion and defend his Cyber End Dragon. No, I need to focus on what he's got right now. His Cyber Valley has no attack or defense points, so it has to have some nasty effects. Playing defense is probably my best option for now."_

Syrus held one of his cards up. "I'll begin by summoning my Gyroid, in defense position," he declared and put the card on his disk. The cartoonish gyrocopter appeared before him, and began guarding its head with its wheeled legs once it saw Zane. The power meter appeared, showing it to be a thousand times stronger than Cyber Valley both in offense and defense. "Next, I put two of my cards face-down on the field, Zane, and end my turn there."

Behind the cowering gyrocopter, two brown-backed cards materialized.

Zane ignored it, and drew his next card. It had turned out to be the Attack Reflector Unit card, which gave him an idea. "First, I'll summon my Armored Cybern to the field," he declared and slammed the card down.

Before the field, there appeared a fighter plane, constructed from polished golden and ocean-blue metal. The cockpit was fitted with active lamps that gave the appearance of burning slit pupils like those of a cat. In that mechanical monstrosity's case, the power meter signaled to Syrus and the spectators that its attack power was rated at 1000 whereas its durability had been assigned the value of 2000. It glared fiercely at its invoker's foe.

"You see, Syrus, Cyber Valley has three different programs installed," disclosed Zane. "I think I'll make use of the second: By banishing Valley and Armored Cybern, I can draw two additional cards," he exposited.

Suddenly, something seemed to pull both of Zane's machines upwards. Syrus, his monster, and the entire hall looked up in time to see Zane's two monsters get pulled through some kind of black hole that had opened up in the ceiling. Said black hole was quickly sealed again once it had swallowed those machines of his.

Zane raised two fingers, in which he held a single card. "Now," he spoke, "since I have no monsters out while you do," he flipped it out over, revealing it as his Cyber Dragon. However, across the distance, the image was so small that Syrus couldn't make it out clearly. Zane still spoke, "I am allowed to send my Cyber Dragon out to the field."

The ground trembled beneath both Duelists and all their spectators, for a single moment.

Then, from a shimmering flash of light, there manifested a single serpentine cyborg. It raised itself protectively over Zane, with more conscious intent than its holographic status would suggest, regarding its foes mildly put unpleasantly. The power meter appeared almost as soon as the cybernetic wyvern did, displaying its attack power to be 2100, the highest powerlevel yet recorded in their match.

"Great," muttered Syrus. If he knew Zane right, one of Cyber Dragon's upgraded forms weren't far behind.

"I finish my turn with a single face-down card," said Zane. The card appeared unceremoniously in front of him.

Syrus rushed to draw, what he saw to be one of his Limiter Removal cards. He inspected his other cards - Jetroid, Decoyroid, Polymerization - and tried to come up with some strategy or combo that could work here. He came up blank, and decided to continue building his defenses against Zane's impending onslaught. With a little luck (okay, Syrus amended to the skeptical stares his own mind shot him, a lotta luck), it would be enough.

"I'll just summon Decoyroid," Syrus said. On the field, there now appeared a bumper-car whose statistics on the power meter were low: Three-hundred attack points, five-hundred defense points. From the sidelines, a few snorts and giggles of incredulity were audible.

"Oh come on," said Seika annoyed to the two indignant incarnations of the Darkness of Justice, Chazz and Alexis. "Does anyone here really think he can beat Zane with toys? Get real, you two."

"Let's just watch how this plays out," Atticus said in his best diplomat's voice.

Zane added the monster he had just drawn to his hand, then took the Power Bond card. "I activate the Power Bond Spell card," he declared. The Obelisk Blue immediately had the whole hall's attention. "With it, I now fuse my two Cyber Dragons into the Cyber Twin Dragon."

Another cybernetic creature showed up next to the Cyber Dragon, identical in every detail. The pair were immediately drawn into the swirling vortex that Power Bond had conjured up, and emerged as one being.

Twice as tall as either Cyber Dragon, the two-headed behemoth leered down at Syrus, growling menacingly with both mouths. For it, the power meter rated it at a powerlevel of 2800 offensively and 2100 defensively. Syrus grimaced, knowing it was only getting worse. _"If this is a dream, please wake me up."_

Exactly as he knew would happen, the strength of Cyber Twin Dragon began to rise up, into nearly 6000 points. Zane slid the used cards into his graveyard, before turning his attention back to his opponent.

"Ready for the end?!" Zane called out to Syrus, voice raised.

"Not yet, Zane," Syrus shot back, and pointed to his face-down, which sprang up and revealed itself as De-Fusion. "I activate De-Fusion, separating Cyber Twin Dragon."

Zane smirked slightly, gesturing to his set card which also revealed itself to be a De-Fusion. "I also activate De-Fusion, allowing Cyber Twin Dragon to split into the monsters that formed him, and as an added bonus, I get my Cyber Dragons back this way."

The mechanical titan howled before its body shone brightly. The process of shrinking and splitting was ended as quickly as it was begun. Silently, the brothers put their De-Fusion cards in their respective graveyards, while the Cyber Dragons howled in joy to be alive.

"Doesn't really make a difference," Syrus noted, a note of triumphance openly present in his voice. "With only two monsters, you can't get through my defenses this turn, Zane."

"True," the Obelisk Blue student noted. "But what I _can _do is some damage! Cyber Dragon, attack his Decoyroid!"

The cyber serpent heeded the order, blasting the radiocar into oblivion without much difficulty.

"With my normal summon for this turn, I choose to bring out Cyber Kirin," Zane said as a four-legged machine creature appeared to flank his dragons. "By sacrificing my Kirin, I avoid taking any effect damage, including from Power Bond, this turn."

Stoic while it happened, the cybernetic giraffe dissolved into light. Between Zane and the Cyber Dragons, a translucent barrier took shape , gleaming almost audibly to signify its mere existence. When Zane declared the end of his turn, a bolt of lightning shot down towards Zane and struck that barrier instead. His Life Points remained unharmed.

Syrus glanced warily, back and forth between the top of his deck and the two Cyber Dragons. Finally he pulled the card up and its front into his own field of vision. It was, he saw, everything he could hope for right now: Pot of Greed. After announcing its usage, Syrus drew Limiter Removal and Tankroid.

Glancing over his hand, a strategy began to form.

_"Think, Syrus," _he told himself, eyes fixed on the cards. _"Work out all the angles here. Playing Tankroid in attack mode and setting Limiter Removal is way too obvious a set-up, so Zane would never go for it without a way out of that jam. That's probably what his face-down card is, so from his point of view, there'll be a contingency plan in case my set-up isn't a bluff. If he takes the bait, I can follow it up with Jetroid and my other Limiter Removal on the turn after that."_

"I first summon my Tankroid in attack mode, and place a face-down card," Syrus said finally.

On the field appeared the cartoonish military vehicle, confirmed by the power meter display to have a medium attack power (1500) and a high defense power (1900). It was accompanied by a floating card.

"Surely you don't expect me to be impressed by such simple tactics, Syrus?" Zane frowned. _"What're you planning here? Surely not to make me hesitate over the possibility of a bluff?" _Zane scrutinized his brother, who sported a resolute look. _"Perhaps that delay was spent on trying to crack my tactics? Likely so, but has he deduced what I have?" _he suspended his train of thought, to make his draw, which was Cyber Phoenix. He added it disinterestedly to his hand. _"Only one way to find out. _I'll attack your Tankroid with my Cyber Dragon," he declared, physically still.

The cybernetic dragon raised its head, charging a blast in its maw.

"Hold on," Syrus interjected, and gestured to his face-down. Said card raised itself forcefully. From the image of the Limiter Removal card, a light shone onto both of Syrus' vehicles. Tankroid grunted and shuddered as its newfound strength rose to newfound heights, namely 3000 points, equal to that of the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

The Cyber Dragon barely seemed to notice the change that Tankroid had undergone.

"Not bad, but far from good enough," remarked Zane, and pointed a finger down to his own card. "I activate Attack Reflector Unit, to evolve my Cyber Dragon into Cyber Barrier Dragon. That saves it from this battle."

Cyber Dragon halted just as it was about to unleash its attack on Tankroid. Its hologram shone and became blurry for a moment. Once it solidified again, it had taken on several new components and visual details, most strikingly of which were its octagonal collar and the fins scattered across its form.

Once again, the power meter appeared to show its attack power, which came to eight hundred points. Zane quickly put the two cards away in his graveyard. "For my last move," he calmly put the Cyber Phoenix card on a monster zone, "I'll summon Cyber Phoenix," he said as the hologram was rendered.

Flanking the Cyber Dragon was now a robotic avian creature with four wings, whose body was adorned with red stripes that occasionally made turns both sharp and soft. In its case, its attack and defense were respectively 1200 and 1600, or so the holographic display said.

Once he declared the end of his turn, both of Syrus' monsters exploded forcefully into smoke-clouds. "Now, since Tankroid just went to the graveyard, his effect lets me draw another card," Syrus disclosed, and did so after dumping both of the destroyed machines. He had drawn, he observed with a glance, Life Force.

He then took a look at Zane's lineup. The cybernetic trio were staring him down, openly eager to get at him. If he remembered their effects right, Cyber Barrier Dragon negated one attack while Cyber Phoenix shielded them from spells and traps.

It was almost a perfect combos, save for its two holes, that monster effects would still work, and that Cyber Dragon's 2100 points was as much strength as Zane fielded. In that, Syrus saw possibility.

"Go on," Zane told his brother, "it's your turn now."

Syrus drew calmly. After a quick look at Monster Reborn, he added the card to his hand, quickly mulling over his options. After a moment's pondered, he held his hand up along with the Monster Reborn card. "With Monster Reborn, I revive Tankroid, in attack mode!"

A light erupted from the floor, and from it, the cartoon tank rose up into the land of the living once more. For a few seconds, the power meter was present, signaling his attack power to be 1500 and defense power as 1900.

The next move Syrus announced was the summoning of an anthromorphic fighter jet. The orange plane stood upright, using its back landing wheels as legs and front landing wheels as arms. Its power levels were shown as 1200 and 1800 respectively.

The first attack Syrus ordered amounted to Jetroid charging at Cyber Barrier Dragon's forcefield. The attack made by Tankroid, a single large bullet fired from its turret, made quite an impact, however. A single hole was left, in and through the cybernetic defense system, which quickly exploded into a cloud of dust.

Zane frowned stoically, accepting the attack with an absence of reaction. The health meter appeared, dropping from the full 4000 to further down in the blue area and settling on 3300, making a vaguely throaty clicking noise as it did. _"Not bad,_" he thought while removing the fallen monster. _"Destroying Cyber Barrier Dragon in battle is more than most manage. So far, everything is going as expected."_

Syrus further declared the setting of two face-downs, which appeared without much ado, and then the conclusion of his turn.

Zane drew, and added Polymerization to his hand without really looking at it. "Now, I think it's time to end the warm-up," announced Zane, holding up a single card. "I play my Proto-Cyber Dragon!"

What appeared was much less impressive than the Cyber Dragon flanking it, in every respect. It was smaller; its metals were less aesthetically pleasing and lifelike; it barely even looked fit for combat. That its attack and defense were on the low side, each a thousand below its complete version, only further proved that. It performed its best shriek of power and authority to announce its arrival.

"See, Proto-Cyber Dragon has the ability, when it is on the field, to assume the title of Cyber Dragon," disclosed Zane, "which means, I can activate Polymerization," he slid the card in, and a violet whirlpool appeared in the floor, "to fuse both of my dragons into the Cyber Twin Dragon!"

The whirlpool began to rise up, engulfing both cybernetic creatures as it passed. What was left in its wake was a two-headed Cyber Dragon lookalike, that towered over all others presents, players and creatures and the spectators. A breathless silence filled the air, emanating from all corners from the room. Zane took in the widespread looks of awe painting the faces of the crowd.

Then, the power meter showed itself, for all to see, with readings of 2800 and 2100.

Zane snuck a glance at his brother's set cards. _"In all likelihood, one of those is another copy of Limiter Removal, hence Tankroid would make a bad choice of target, even if it didn't have that hand-buffing effect. Jetroid would still have too little power to survive in that event. Hmm... what Syrus has planned must be to take out Cyber Twin Dragon with his boosted Tankroid on his next turn, and then use the draw he'll get from its destruction to prepare another move. Regardless of what happens on the field, Cyber Larva will buy me at least one more turn."_

He decided to pause his train of thought.

"Cyber Twin Dragon," he called to the super-massive machine. "Unleash all your power on his Jetroid, now!"

Cyber Twin Dragon was quick to comply. The blasts were charged in a single moment and unleashed upon the fighter plane.

"I activate my Life Force card," Syrus announced just as Jetroid went up in smoke. The card in question sprang up. Its image depicted a pink heart-shaped box of chocolates in a glass box. "With this-" he was cut off by someone in the crowd shouting 'THAT'S THE GIRLIEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN DUDE!', in a voice distinctly female. Ignoring the comment, he resumed, "I get to avoid taking any damage from your dragon or any of your monsters, as long as I give up four hundred points each time."

Slowly, the colored bar and number on Syrus' health meter dropped in synch with one another; the bar was lowered a tad, remaining vivid Obelisk blue, while the number became 3600.

Barely a moment after Zane had declared his turn to be over, Syrus conducted his next draw. The bespectacled Slifer Red saw it to be the Supercharge card. _"What would be best? If I take out Cyber Phoenix now, I can still take out Cyber Twin Dragon next turn, but while it would make the dragon open for destruction via a Spell or Trap, Zane'll get to draw a card, and the last thing I need is him drawing something that can turn this duel around with Cyber Twin Dragon. On the other hand, I'm running low on cards, and dragging this out might give me a chance to use Supercharge. As long as I've got both Life Force and Limiter Removal, I'm probably in the clear."_

He paused, breathing in then out. "Tankroid, attack Zane's Cyber Phoenix," he commanded. The military vessel fired a single round into the electronic avian, leaving a hole clear through. Cyber Phoenix shattered into pixels that rapidly faded from sight.

Zane paid no attention to his Life Points dropping to 3000. "Now that Cyber Phoenix is destroyed, its second ability is that I can draw one card," he informed Syrus. Zane did, and briefly looked the Photon Generator Unit over, then put it with his hand.

"I place a card face-down," Syrus went on. In a bright gold flash, there materialized a floating card with a brown backing sporting a black dot at its center. He further declared this turn's ending, after which Zane took another card for himself.

The Obelisk Blue inspected the card dismisssively.

"How long have they been jamming by now?" wondered a dark-haired Slifer to the Ra Yellow setting next to him. The red-dressed teen was intently watching them.

"Half an hour at least," came the yellow-wearing dude's answer, while munching. "Popcorn, anyone?" he offered his snacks to the adjacent seats.

"I summon Cyber Larva in attack mode," Zane proclaimed loudly. On the field, there arrived a small worm, carved from the kind of silver metals as most of his cybernetic assemblage. Its only distinguishing feature was its yellow stinger-tail. The power meter came up, with readings of four hundred and six hundred. "Next, I place one card face-down and finish my turn with that."

Syrus drew Satelliteroid. An idea immediately occurred to him. "First, I activate my Limiter Removal, which means Tankroid becomes twice as powerful!"

The military vehicle immediately became engulfed in a bright orange light, its many components groaning and creaking under the strain of the power coursing through it. The power meter appeared, and its rating of fifteen hundred began to rise up, shooting past two thousand in barely a second, settling on the grand total of three thousand.

Syrus stared squarely at Zane. "Your Cyber Twin Dragon is going down!"

Zane smirked. "Go ahead and attack, if you think my face-down card is harmless."

The Slifer's gaze fell on the mentioned card. He pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of attacking and whether it was a good idea to even do so. Finally he did so. Tankroid fired, with thunderous force and noise, a single projectile at Cyber Twin Dragon, who fired their lasers back. The bullet plowed on through the laserfire as though were they little more than a summer breeze, tearing through Cyber Twin Dragon just as easily.

Zane gave no reaction to either the Fusion exploding into smoke nor to the damage the attack dealt him. He calmly picked up Cyber Twin Dragon's card and slid it to rest. Once again, Zane's health meter dwindled down, this time to 2800.

From the sidelines, many of them watched on in incredulity. Though they thought and murmured their phrasing differently, they all shared the same sentiment of being unable to believe their own eyes, that Zane was on the losing end. In one part of the ring of seats, Sheppard scrutinized the taller teen with a level frown, curious as to what Zane was playing at. On a different row in another section, Seika was sporting a distinctive look of being unable to believe this BS.

"Next, I sacrifice Tankroid, and summon my Satelliteroid," declared Syrus. The combat vehicle dissolved into motes of golden energy. Directly above the arena and Zane's head, hovering close to the ceiling, the crowd spotted the satellite station appear, which to Zane was a blind angle. Aloof air breaking momentarily, he looked curiously around for the monster, before spotting it.

"And since Tankroid's in my graveyard, his ability activates again," Syrus voiced, and picked up another card that he saw to be Cycroid. "Now, I activate the ability of my Satelliteroid: By discarding a card," he put Cycroid away, without much deliberation, "I can pick any Spell or Trap card out on the field, and it gets destroyed!"

A red laser blast shot down onto the face-down Return Soul, vaporizing its hologram. Calmly taking it off, Zane slid it into his graveyard. Pleased with what he had accomplished, Syrus announced the end of his current turn.

Zane calmly conducted his draw, of a Cyber Larva, and absently added it to his hand. "I'm impressed, Syrus. Very few of my opponents have destroyed both Cyber Twin Dragon and Cyber Barrier Dragon, but rest assured, this duel is far from over. I still have a universe of tricks ready. I end my turn."

Shock flashed over Syrus' face. "But, you haven't done _anything_!"

"I don't _need_ to," said Zane, concisely.

Dismissing off his mild surprise, Syrus picked up his next card. He looked Drillroid over, but saw no immediate use for its effect. After a moment's thought, the Slifer Red ordered an attack on Cyber Larva. With a single blast from the laser, the larva was felled. It exploded into a smokecloud.

The cloud cleared, revealing Zane no worse for wear. More curiously to Syrus, his Life Points seemed to not change.

"Now," spoke Zane, taking his deck from its compartment, "both of Cyber Larva's abilities are activated. The first activated when Satelliteroid attacked it, and guards me from any battle damage for this turn. The second activated when Satelliteroid destroyed my Larva, and summons another one from my deck."

Within a sphere of radiant rainbow lights, the currently ghostly Cyber Larva began to take on a solid form. With a falsetto shriek, it dispelled the aurora. The power level meter appeared again, explicating its attack power of 400.

Syrus grimaced. Breaking through that would probably take him a while. Just his luck: He had taken two of Zane's best monsters down, and it barely counted as progress. "I end my turn, Zane."

Zane drew, with a sweeping gesture. He noted that his card was Cyber Valley. It was quietly added to his hand. He declared the conclusion of his turn.

Syrus drew and added Negate Attack to his hand without much interest. Ordering Satelliteroid to attack, the space machine fired a crimson beam down at the cybernetic entity. The larval machine shrieked as it got broiled alive. To his relief, Zane didn't pick up his deck this time. After setting a single card, the bespectacled Slifer ended his turn.

Zane drew a Limiter Removal, which he knew wouldn't affect the situation. He announced the summoning of Cyber Valley in attack mode, then ended his turn.

With a forceful motion, Syrus drew another card. He looked it over briefly, wracking his brain for a possible use for the spell but finding none, so he put it in his hand.

Casting a glance over the field, he mentally bemoaned that it seemed to make no difference what or how of much he tossed at his brother, Zane was still in control of the game. The question was, how could he shake that control? _"Well, first things first, gotta keep the pressure up,"_ thought Syrus, commanding another attack from Satelliteroid.

The laser impacted a barrier that Cyber Valley had raised around itself, in tune with Zane announcing the activation of its first program. In the floor beneath it opened up the same kind of cosmic rift that had consumed Armored Cybern and the other Cyber Valley. It appeared as though Cyber Valley was both diving in of its own volition and dragged down by the forces of the spatial warping.

In any case, Cyber Valley had departed the field quickly.

And so, on and on it went for several turns more, an exchange of tactics and attacks that seemed never-ending, made possible by them doing everything in their power to reinforce their hands and stay in the game. Whatever one brother tried, the other quickly found a way to get rid of and/or shield himself against.

Eventually (and it would be at this moment that the proverbial theme music began playing), Zane clinched his victory and ended their hour-long match through a combo of Cyber End Dragon and Armored Cybern and Limiter Removal; by that point, both players had burned through their respective decks so much that they were on the verge of running out of cards.

The crowds rose, a thousand voices blurring and mixing and cheering wildly, delivering a thunderous round of applause. Both brothers stood, too tired to speak, simply smilng at one other.

* * *

Syrus grimaced unconsciously, restless in his sleep.

"Syrus," Midori addressed the sleeping bluenet lightly, her arms folded. Chumley stood next to her, considering poking him again. "You need to wake up."

He didn't wake up. After a moment's patience, Midori glanced to the outside where the mixed bag of Ra and Obelisk students were still waiting.

"Can't ya just shake him awake?" called a green-haired girl, with open exasperation, into the room. Midori shot her a reprimanding glare.

Syrus awoke, to find more people in his room than there should have been. He fixed his gaze on them, but couldn't really make any details out without his glasses on. The one kinda looked like Chumley, while the other looked like Professor Hibiki.

It took him a moment to recall where he'd put his glasses last night, before reaching for the bed's foot-end. He took another look, mentally confirming that his company were Chumley and his headmistress. He quickly noticed the mixed bunch of Yellows and Blues outside. "Uh, guys, can I ask what's going on?"

"Lemme clear it up for ya, shortstuff," answered one of the Obelisk Blues before Midori or Chumley could, pointing a finger at Syrus. "Newsflash, _you're_ the school's new number one, the one guy to beat. So, get dressed and get dueling!"

Syrus sighed mentally. Though he liked Duels, he didn't really want to get challenged before literally getting out of bed. Had Zane ever dealt with this kind of thing?

He hmmed and moved off the bed, with a small smile growing on his face.

* * *

**And that's a wrap.**


	17. Heart of the Underdog

**Consider this an early Christmas present.**

* * *

Duel Academy was the name of the illustrious institution where young men and women from all over the world came to learn the sport known as Duel Monsters, yadda yadda yadda.

It was also the place where all manners of weird crap regularly took place, said excrement being both of the mundane and fantastic sorts. It was also where a handful of semi-Lovecraftian horror-terrors extruded their own brand of nightmare into our space-time from the deep reaches of several otherworldly places, mostly unfelt by the mortals dwelling there. It went without saying that points A and B weren't really as connected as they sounded.

Since Zane's graduation match, there had passed five days.

Of those days, it had scarcely been three before Midori had announced to the Slifer Red house that Lyman'd had his employment terminated and that she would be filling the position of headmistress of their dorm, though she had elected to kept the detail of his suicide from her charges. For the most part, they had met the news with a minimum of emotion and protesting.

Syrus had been kept busy as well, defending his new title from challengers itching to take a crack at him. Among others, he had faced off against Wisteria the Obelisk Blue and her One Turn Kill strategy with the ritual demons Demise and Ruin; Jake the Obelisk Blue and his superhero team; Dimitri the Ra Yellow and his fluid copycat tactics; Bastion the Ra Yellow and his Yokai horde; Disa the Obelisk Blue and her Monarchs and Mega Monarchs.

Each time he had managed a victory; each time it had been a hard-fought victory, except for against Dimitri. That affair had just been embarrassing for the yellow-coat.

On the fourth day's evening, Midori and Vellian and several of the Red house students saw Chumley off, on his flight towards his new job at Industrial Illusions. It was from their silent encouragement - Syrus flashing a grin and giving an exaggerated thumbs-up sign, Rick grinning and giving a two-finger-salute, Midori standing with her arms folded and smiling with her eyes shining with pride - that Chumley found the strength to move on, though he almost didn't.

In summation, business as usual. Classes were attended, Duels were waged, good times and so-so times and hard times were had by most people.

* * *

_When: February 16, 2005 | Where: Central Duel Academy, Card Shack_

In the here and now, in the card shack, Jasmine was occupying a lone table in the otherwise-empty Card Shack. Upon said table, many cards laid scattered around, both in piles and not. The air of the hall was a quiet one, giving her ample opportunity to focus on deck building.

She sighed all of a sudden, mentally reconsidering her new strategy. Her two Kindly Mystical Elves would strengthen her monsters and refill her Life Points; the Vengeful Dark Elves would weaken her foe's creatures and reduce their Life Points; the Breakers provided much power; the Valkyrias provided a reliable defense.

She thought it was a good basic strategy, one that would let her attack and defend in several ways. Now, though, she had doubts about it. Without the attack-power-twisting abilities of the elves, they wouldn't be able to handle battles against stronger monsters, which she knew were a lot of them. What Spells and Traps would help with her defense?

Her eyes darted immediately to her Magic Cylinder, a happy glint shining in her steel orbs as she looked it over. _"Man, I still can't believe I actually have one of those," _thought the brunette.

It was one of Yugi's cards, well, one Yugi's, according to the stories anyway, one that had served him well in many tournaments. As a Duelist, she could think of few things that would make her more giddy to use. Well, maybe the Silent Magician or Dark Magician or the Egyptian God cards, that would be a dream come true.

A thought suddenly occurred to her. There was another world, a different dimension, out there where real Duel Monsters lived. How good were the chances that over there, there was another Silent Magician LV0 who she could talk into joining her deck?

She recalled the many tournaments where Yugi had emerged triumphant with his two Silent powerhouses. They and his entire deck was a testament to his ever-growing strength. It would be awesome to have her own copy of the sorceress' card, or maybe the Dark Magician. Question was, where in the other world should she begin looking? Well, if she ever went back there in the first place, whispered another part of her mind.

... come to think of it, how did that work, she realized. Jasmine felt sheepish at the thought. It was about two months ago, and she was only now asking questions. What kind of a ditz was she, the brunette derided herself.

What were the people of the other world; were they just aliens who happened to look like the monsters in the game, or were they actually those creatures somehow? Well, that one guy she and Mindy had beaten had spoken perfect japanese and known the rules of Duel Monsters, sooooo... it was _probably _a safe bet to assume that those people had some connection to humanity. She was pretty sure it was unlikely that their language would match japanese enough to converse without a hitch, unless there was some contact between the species. What had the green cloud said?

Okay, now that she looked back on it, it had been pretty effing weird. If it hadn't been because the deck was real enough, she would've thought they had been dreaming or high or hallucinating, or _something_.

Dismissing the thought, the brunette cast a glance down at the table. One stack of cards in particular, one with Magician of Faith as the top card, held her attention. Every card was a possibility to accomplish something, she thought to herself. So had Yugi once said.

Picking up the stack, she began to shuffle through it, and put a few cards aside; ones that seemed useful or had made her curious, like Hiita the Fire Charmer. The metaphorical gears of the brunette's brain began churning away, whereas her non-metaphorical neurons signaled all their neighbors to pull the same stunt, as she looked over the few choice cards. In particular, she had an eye for the Charmer of fire. She weighed the pros and cons of taking it with her, considering every combo Hiita's power could make that she could think of.

It took almost twenty further minutes of such consideration and strategizing, before Jasmine had put together a new deck. After another cursory inspection, she devoted another ten minutes to minor changes here and there.

She grimaced, mentally bemoaning the uniform's lack of pockets. It would've been real easy to call Lexy if she'd had her phone or PDA.

The next major event of Jasmine's day occurred in a different area of the island, namely the outside, right in front of the building. The two teenagers were facing one another, with a bit of distance between them. Beneath their booted feet was a road of concrete, pure polished silver in color.

Both sides of the road were in large part identical, sporting fields of viridian grass and verdant bushes. A series of gray stone monument were embedded onto the tiny grasslands on both sides. Those were almost pyramidal in their shapes, this weird shape where the four sides were curving lines rather than straight lines, and ended in a flattened surface. Single stone slabs of the same shape jutted up from the blocks, depicting Duel Monsters of various kinds.

Both were presented with their own grandiose sight. For Jasmine, it was Alexis standing with the endless sea and sky as her backdrop. For Alexis, it was Jasmine before the immense building in all its splendor. Eyes locked, they stood in silence. Around their left wrists were identical devices, their Duel Disks, in their smaller inactive states.

_"Time to see if I'm really cut out for this school,"_ Jasmine thought, intently, raising her disk-covered arm. "Ready?"

Alexis flashed a smirk. "Ready anytime you are."

Simultaneously, they declared the duel's beginning with a shout, and pressed the smaller gems of their respective gaming gear.

With a humming noise almost too faint for them to hear, the disks broadcast their signals into the area to scan for a prospective opponent, and found the other disk within the very first second. The data network between them was conjured without any sort of whistles and bells, while they drew their opening hands.

"I'll kick things off," Alexis declared, smirking, and drew another card. She looked at Frostosaurus briefly, then added the dinosaur monster to her hand.

With relaxed poise, she slid a card into the disk's fourth slot. Appearing at first ghostly, the emerald jar and its sneering face quickly attained solidity. Alexis silently drew two cards, inspecting them, pleased, for they were a Blizzard Dragon and the Blizzard Wall. She picked the expended enchantment up, and put the card into her graveyard.

Jasmine grimaced. Only the first turn, and Alexis already had the lead.

The blonde looked over her hand, then picked out a card. "I now summon Frost Sprite to the field, in attack mode," announced the blonde, and put the monster's card down.

The ice princess' card was immediately materialized, suspended in the air before its invoker. Before Jasmine had time to speak, the card image shone, and a single figure somersaulted out onto the pavement. The brunette soon saw it to be one of the blonde's preferred monsters, a six footer female with grey skin and sparse amounts of blue garments and hair made of icicles. The power meter appeared in turn, signaling its power level as 1100 to her.

"Like her sisters, Frost Sprite has her own tricks," disclosed Alexis. "Now, any monsters you summon get frozen for one turn, and can't use their special effects."

Jasmine smirked, glancing down at her Book of Moon. "We'll see how those tricks works out for you."

"I'll just end my turn, with two more face-downs," the Queen of Obelisk Blue went on while preparing those cards. Twin shimmers of white light solidified into floating cards behind Frost Sprite, who observed their formation. The ice princess smiled brightly and nodded enthused to her summoner, giving two thumbs up to the blonde with her extended arms.

Jasmine glanced at the top card of her deck before drawing what she saw was one of the Charmers, Lyna, and added to her hand. It was a moment later that she decided on her first play. She picked the Book of Moon card out, holding it between two fingers and held it up, consciously taking care to not drop it. "I activate Book of Moon," she declared.

Now, there was rendered a hologram of a card; the image depicted a tome with a blue cover engraved with a crescent symbol, resting in the marine-colored sands of some otherworldly desert; the lore boxes below and above the card image were concise about its name and power.

"Now, one monster has to switch to face-down position, which in the case of Frost Sprite means she can't do her thing anymore," Jasmine exposited while Alexis read the same thing off the card.

The brunette pointed sharply to the ice princess. Frost Sprite's hologram faded rapidly, and a card with brown backing positioned sideways was now in her place. Finished, Jasmine discarded the Spell into the graveyard section.

Alexis regarded her monster passively, feeling unconcerned by the action. "Not bad, but we both know you're a long way off from winning this."

Jasmine didn't answer, her eyes darting over her hand. "Next, I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior," she practically slammed the card down on the disk. A single pentagram of gold light appeared in a split second, and began to ascend into the air. The crimson and gold armor of the sorcerer-knight and his weapons of choice were gradually constructed by the rising rune.

The power meter popped up, though Alexis didn't bother to inspect it while it was there, already knowing its attack power by rote. Breaker's power level then rose visibly, to 1900.

"Next, I activate the Field Spell, Secret Village of the Spellcasters," Jasmine announced.

The field card slot popped out, and the brunette placed the card, upon which the tray slid back inside. On the battlefield, there appeared then a single sphere of golden-white light that shone.

It went off in the manner of a star becoming a supernova, releasing blinding light into the area. Both Jasmine and Alexis reflexively closed their eyes and shielded them with one arm.

They blinked, to clear out their fuzzy vision, and quickly saw that their surroundings had changed drastically. They were in a bright forest clearing. Towering trees and small huts were all around.

"If I remember right, I can't use Spells anymore, right?" the blonde asked the pointy-haired brunette, tone vaguely uncertain.

"You got it," answered Jasmine. "Now, we need to have a magician on the field to use any Spell cards, so say goodbye to your ice weapons and your Instant Freezes, and Monster Reborn too."

Alexis' eyes darted downward for a splitsecond, to the Ice Master card in her hand. She smirked. "We'll see about that, won't we?"

Jasmine grimaced, trying to recall which Spellcasters Alexis commonly used. It took a moment or two before Cold Enchanter and Ice Master came to mind. "Nevermind, Breaker, do your stuff and take out the face-down card on the left!"

Breaker complied, leveling his sword towards the designated card. The blade began to crackle with electricity. It was with a single noise, a vaguely throaty growling crack sound that drowned out all the small stuff in the background, that the lightning was let loose from the blade.

Its trajectory was unsteady, it discharged its fury into the air around, and the noise of its release echoed momentarily. Of the card it struck, there was only scorched shreds, more vaporized than there remained.

Alexis took the lightning-struck card out of the disk, sliding Hallowed Life Barrier into her graveyard without looking at it. Meanwhile, Breaker's power level reading dropped back down to 1600.

Jasmine looked tensely at the other face-down. Momentarily, she weighed the pros and cons of attacking, before dismissing the worry. "Breaker, attack! Arcane Sword Slash!"

Immediately, the swordsman magician charged at the ice princess. Frost Sprite raised her balled fists, assuming a boxer's stance. Breaker swung his sword.

Then, Alexis called the activation of her Trap card, and he halted in the midst of the motion. Frost Sprite jumped nervously back, away from the sorcerer's sword.

A thick layer of translucent ice appeared on the blade's tip, and began to grow over the rest of the blade, then onto Breaker's hand and arm, and in the blink of an eye, there stood a Breaker-shaped popsicle on Jasmine's field on the field. The power meter display blinked into existence, and the mage's strength dropped from the relatively average 1600 rating to a value of zero.

Jasmine grimaced, feeling a sense of renewed distaste for that Ice Barrier card. She knew also that this was gonna hurt. She shot a glance at the cards in her hand; nothing would work here, not Renewal Wand, not Lyna, not Monster Reborn. She thought of only two options: To use Renewal Wand to recycle Book of Moon and lose most of her cards, or take some heavy damage.

The pointy-haired brunette considered those options for a moment. "I end my turn," she said finally.

Regarding her neutrally, Alexis drew a card in a subdued disinterested motion, raising it to her eye-level. The card image and effect lore of Ice Angel met her gaze.

"First, I change Frost Sprite back to attack mode," said the blonde chick. The down-turned card turned around, exuding a vivid golden glow from every inch of the front. The grey-skinned princess of all that was frosty rose from the light, appearing a figure of solid white before taking on her tell-tale coloration. She affected a cool guy pose, hence her arms were folded.

"Next, I call my Ice Angel to join her," Alexis went on. The next monster to appear did so on the left side of her sister, identical to Frost Sprite and Snow Fairy. The display was rendered, documenting her power level of 1100, then vanished without warning or a trace of its existence. "Now, it's not just your monsters that need to cool off for one turn, but your trap cards too.

Jasmine looked at her, pointedly, tiredly. "We've talked about this, Alexis, the puns about ice and snow aren't as fun as you think. I dunno when you even got in the habit of that, but ya gotta stop."

Alexis looked sheepish. Rather than answer, she ordered the two ice princesses to attack. One struck the mage down with a gust of the northern Wind, one blasted another snowy gale at Jasmine.

The brunette shivered, and panted aloud. She steeled herself against the cold as best she could, remembering it was all holograms and special effects. She barely registered her Life Points dropping to less than half.

Alexis declared to set a card, then declared the conclusion of her turn. Jasmine breathed tersely, and conducted her draw. It was, to her frustration, Aussa. She recognized almost unconsciously that the Earth mage would be of no use now. She scanned her cards, almost praying for a solution. "Think," she muttered. _"With both of those ice-queens-in-training present and accounted for, I can't use monster or trap effects," _her gaze went straight to the Renewal Wand spell. She debated its usage momentarily, then put the Light Charmer's card down.

"I summon Lyna the Light Charmer!" Jasmine almost hollered, at the very moment the young sorceress was rendered in 3D glory.

What had manifested was a fresh-faced young girl, tall and almost gangly, a mop of vivid white hair framing her white eyes. Her garb consisted of a green coat of moderate length, reaching almost to her knees, and further of a white top beneath a black-colored corset, and a pair of shorts, as well as jet-black stockings and brown leather boots. She carried an elaborately crafted staff in one hand.

Once again, the power display was rendered. It identified her as having only 500 units of whatever metric Duel Monster strength was defined by.

Lyna spotted the other conjured creatures, and beamed. She began showing off, spinning her staff around. She dropped it almost immediately, hitting her fingers on the pole. She yelped visibly. Frost Sprite and Ice Angel regarded her little display with amusement. Lyna quickly picked her staff up, awkwardly scratching the back of her head.

Alexis hmmed. So Jasmine used Charmers now. The blonde's mental catalogue of the Duel Monster worlds told her only that those Spellcasters had mind-controlling abilities. Question of the day was, what else was new?

They were both too engrossed in their Duel to notice that they now had an audience, in the form of a single burgundy-haired woman whose attire (a hooded jacket of a different shade of red than the Slifer Red house's, and jeans) made no secret of her not being another student, a stone's throw to their left.

"Next," Jasmine held up a Spell Card, "I activate Renewal Wand, and equip Lyna with it."

There was an outburst of light in Lyna's other hand, and it congealed into a short staff. The wand was tipped with a gem that was red as blood, that glowed faintly. The youngling witch admired and studied it, turning it around, moving it up and down.

"Since she's now equipped with the Wand of Renewal, Lyna gains a new ability," Jasmine conveyed. Lyna peeked curiously at her summoner. Alexis too gave her a curious look. "By discarding a Spellcaster," she slid the mage of the soil into her disk, "I get to take a single card from my Deck, and put it up in my hand. The card I choose is Rapidfire Wand."

The brunette searched her deck quickly, and placed the pile back in its tray, now one card lighter. "One last thing," she added, "that the Renewal Wand does is that you now get to draw a card."

The blonde did so. She inspected Ice Knight briefly, then leveled a glance over at Jasmine. 'Rapidfire Wand' wasn't a card she'd previously heard of, aware that she needed not wait long to know what it did.

"Next up, I cast Monster Reborn to resurrect Breaker," Jasmine proclaimed. The paladin returned to the field without much ado, save for his brief-lived power level reading. She further declared to equip the paladin with the Rapidfire Wand.

The sword that Breaker carried vanished, dispersing into golden particles then to fade altogether. It was replaced by a relatively large wand whose head was larger still and rounded, and encrusted with gemstones of various colors.

"Now, he can attack twice per turn," she disclosed. "So now, well, you know what happens next. Breaker, attack Frost Sprite and Ice Angel with **Mystic Lightning Blasts**!" the brunette hollered.

The paladin calmly raised his scepter up. The gems began to crackle violently, coming alive with arcane and electrical force. A dark cloud was spontaneously conjured above the forest clearing, Alexis looked up and spotted.

Barely a moment, then hell broke loose. Thunderous rumbling echoed out from the summoned cloud, and mighty bolts began to erupt from it. With a single all-deafening roar, the lightning was called down upon the two ice princess sisters. Their fate was not to splinter into thousandfold fragments, to be ripped asunder, but to be utterly consumed by the thunderous wrath brought down upon their noggins.

Alexis' breathing hitched, her nerves frazzling but rapidly calming. Her Life Points then dropped by a thousand.

"Not bad, Jas," the blonde complimented her, her tone was one of open awe, and put her fallen fighters away. "I don't think anyone's ever managed to pull off beating both of them at once. Make no mistake, though, winning won't be that easy."

Jasmine sighed. She knew that full well, knew that Alexis' arsenal was bigger than the three ice princesses and their freezing abilities. She quickly recalled the Blizzard Dragon and Frost Tiger, the White Night emperors and their pet dragon, the Blizzard Princess and the knights of the cold.

A small part of Jasmine wondered why exactly Alexis used the White Night Queen and King monsters. By most standards she knew, Mobius the Frost Monarch was a plain better card; it had higher attack power, destroyed more cards with its effect, and was easier to summon. They weren't powerless, but pretty underwhelming for seven-star creatures.

"Yeah," she supposed. "I end my turn."

Alexis conducted her draw. She looked at the drawn card, Star Blast, then at her hand, considering tactics and combos, weighing the pros and cons of them. "I summon Blizzard Dragon, in attack mode!"

The standard golden glow appeared, and the low-level dragon appeared. The blue-and-white skinned wyvern screeched to announce its presence, and slammed the ground with its tail for good measure. It glared over at Jasmine and her summoned mages, a disdainful glint in its bright and red-hued eyeballs. This time, the display signaled a power level of 1800.

Jasmine grimaced. Alexis commanded the beast to unleash its power on the Charmer. Blizzard Dragon lunged for Lyna and bit into her neck. The magician barely had time to react, before blowing up, into a cloud of smoke.

The brunette then heard the tell-tale sound of her life points dropping. The Life Point meter floated in the center of their field. Both the Duelist and their unseen spectator watched the colorful bar drop, and its associated number become 500. Jasmine put both of the destroyed cards into her graveyard.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," remarked Jasmine, glumly.

"I think it was," Alexis told her with a smile. A surprised look flashed over Jasmine's face. "You've done great so far, better than most of my opponents. I honestly thought Frost Sprite was gonna be trouble for you, but you got around her effect like it was nothing, and you even did it twice. This is the most fun I've had all week."

Jasmine smiled a bit. "Thanks, Lex. So, pep talk's over. Are you doing anything else or can I begin my turn?"

Alexis smirked. Jasmine knew almost painfully well what would happen next. "Blizzard Dragon, let Breaker have it! **Breath of the Tundra!**"

The arctic dragon raised its head slightly at the command, glancing back at its summoner from the spot beside Breaker where Lyna had been. Then, it stood up. Baring its fangs, it charged the blast in its maw. Wisps of cold air escaped its mouth. Then, it fired a single whitish-bluish ray of energy at the paladin.

Breaker raised his shield to take the blast for him. They seemed evenly matched, for a moment. The dragon's icy breath was not powerful enough to break through the shield, but Breaker was not strong enough to do anything but cover himself from the assault.

That moment was fleeting. The true purpose of the Blizzard Dragon's breath attack began to show itself, in the form of a layer of solid ice spreading over the shield. The dragon jerked its head downwards, flash-freezing Breaker's ankles and feet. Despite the mage's best efforts, it took little time for the dragon to popsicle him.

Jasmine looked nervously at her magician, who was now encased in ice so thick that the person inside was almost concealed by it. Glancing down at her deck, she hoped fervently for something that could turn this around.

Alexis declared the end of her turn. Nervously, eyes closed, Jasmine reached to the cards, and picked up the card she hoped would be her salvation. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes. It was Double Summon. Crap, she exclaimed mentally. The only card in her hand was Double Summon._ "Talk about bad timing."_

She announced the end of her turn. The blonde drew Negate Attack and put the trap in her hand. Then, she sacrificed her dragon for her dinosaur. The creature that was summoned towered over both the duelists and the knight. It appeared as much to be an dino of the Apatosaurus breed as it resembled a glacier made animate creature. Its body was covered in pure frost, and its coating had many jagged edges and uneven spots.

The dinosaur was so big that it barely fit into the forest area. Underneath the massive creature's elongated neck, Alexis stood, her back turned to the beast. The lumbering giant loomed over her.

For the final time of this match appeared the offense/defense display. It signaled to Jasmine that the power level of Frostosaurus was as high as 2600. The brunette sighed.

She said and did nothing when the prehistoric behemoth stomped her only monster down with a single raised foot, and dealt her more Life Points damage than she could afford to take.

Her Life Points dropped to zero. The Solid Vision projections began to fade.

They suddenly heard clapping, and looked around. The two Obelisks spotted the one applauding them, standing a distance away. They saw a young woman, around their own age and of an almost identical build, who had red hair that reached down below her shoulders, garbed in jeans and a red jacket.

"Greetings, Avatar," she called out to them, walking closer. "I come to you today, bringing a warning and a question."

Both the blonde and brunette looked taken aback by the statement. "Uh, Alexis, you wanna fill me in here?" asked Jasmine quickly to the other.

Alexis gave her a stony look. "If I could, I would. I have no idea who she is," the blonde looked over at the stranger. "So, hi, and, mind doing some explaining?"

The burgundy-haired woman stared motionlessly at them, halting completely after the next step. Her eyes darted around, examining their surroundings for mortals who might overcomplicate the matter, and found just the one.

"I would prefer that we converse away from prying eyes and ears," said the burgundy-haired teen, shooting the brunette a pointed look. Jasmine glowered at that.

"Not a chance," countered Alexis, vaguely indignant. "Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of her."

The non-student made no reaction, no sign of even having heard that. "Very well," she said after a moment's thought.

"My warning is this: Beware, Avatar. Even as we speak, wicked forces roam this planet and this plane, more kinds of wicked forces than can be encapsulated in a single sentence. If one of you five fall into their clutches, there is no telling what they might unleash. Whether they might attempt to free the Earthbound Immortals or part the veil that divides this realm and Hell, or something else with the power that slumbers within you, is not something I can say with absolute certainty. If ever they come for you, you must be prepared to fight."

Jasmine breathed in. Alexis felt unease rise up in her. "Okay, impending doom and gloom," the blonde snarked. "So what else is new?"

"My question is this: If ever you are called upon to aid Hora or myself, to stand beside us against the demon hordes of the Netherworld, would you be willing to abandon all the concerns of modern human society?"

Alexis and Jasmine immediately stared, hella confused, at her. "What, of course not!?" she exclaimed. "I mean, yeah, I'll gladly help out, but I've got a life and I'll like to keep it that way."

The other regarded them flatly. "If that is your decision, I will not dispute it."

The blonde spoke almost as soon as the red-head had finished her sentence. "Now it's my turn to ask questions, such as, what's your name?"

The red-head continued to regard them flatly. The blonde and brunette regarded her curiously. "My name holds no meaning, but if you wish to know, I will introduce myself. I am Akiza, otherwise known as the Signer. I am the Avatar of the Crimson Dragon."

Their curious looks were unwavering. "Jasmine," Alexis wondered, "is it just me or did it sound like she said 'crimson dragon' in capital letters?

Jasmine nodded.

"Next question," Alexis went on, "what is this 'Crimson Dragon' thing supposed to be?"

Now, Akiza looked taken aback. Could an Avatar of the Gentle Darkness truly be so ignorant of the universe's highest beings? Though a neophyte, she ought to know of such things. Horakhty had mentioned meeting them a few times, so why had she neglected to inform them of that, of the puzzle in which they were only a single piece?

_"It defies understanding," _she thought to herself. "The Gentle Darkness is not the only higher power in the universe, Avatar, not the only god," Akiza told Alexis. "Just as the five of you embody one of these forces, I am the vessel for another."

Alexis looked skeptical. Around Akiza, she saw no light or shadow, and she felt nothing out-of-the-ordinary about the red's presence. "If that was true, I'll know."

It took a moment for Jasmine and for Akiza to remember what she meant by that; the brunette recalled a recent conversation, while the red-head recalled a few years she'd spent with one of the previous Avatars of the Gentle Darkness in Denmark back in the 1800's.

A sense of nostalgia came over Akiza as she recalled that and other things. She found that she had forgotten the face and name of the one who had sent her back all those centuries. Part of her felt grateful for having gotten the chance to experience all those years, part of her loathed it wholeheartedly. Mainly, she would rather like a chance to kill whoever it had been. She recalled the names, Yousay and Jack. Had it been them?

"I know of the sixth sense the Gentle Darkness grants you, your metaphysical perception," she said and raised her hand, the back turned to them. A blood-red marking suddenly appeared, flaring up into existence on the unblemished skin. It was one that was rounded, and had wings on the top part, Alexis and Jasmine saw. "And I have among my bestowed powers, the ability to remain undetectable to it if I so wish."

Alexis saw, everywhere around Akiza, a red glow appear. Steadily, the light grew brighter, enshrouding her in it. The blonde felt a pinprick on the center of her forehead, as sharp as the light was bright. Of Akiza's little light show, Jasmine saw only the tattoo with her five senses.

"I believe you," Alexis said. Akiza, with a mental gesture, drew the energies of the Crimson Dragon back from whence they had come.

"I have said what I came for," Akiza said, with an air of finality. "Farewell. I hope for either of our sakes that we will not meet again on some battlefield."

With that, the Signer turned around, and began to walk away.

The Obelisk Blues looked after her for a moment, before Jasmine turned to the blonde so-called royal. "I did _not_ see that coming," laughed the brunette.

"Me neither," grinned the blonde.

A momentary silence passed. "You know what this means?" Asked Jasmine. Alexis looked curiously at her. "There's another adventure brewing, I can practically smell it."

"Yeah," Alexis half-sighed in agreement. Truthfully, she wasn't sure if she liked knowing. Worst case scenario, she would have to watch Jasmine and the others die before being killed herself. The thought was unwelcome but possible, too possible.

* * *

Jasmine stepped into the card trade room. Her face was humorless, a purposeful frown. She knew now the weakness of her deck, that it lacked raw power. Her duels over the past couple of weeks had shown had shown her that.

Her gaze fell on the particular wall indentation storing the Spellcaster cards. She expected finding new options in there. The pointy-haired brunette stepped forward, the thought of greater heights of dueling prowess occupying her.

* * *

**This turn's invented cards:  
**

_**Rapidfire Wand | Equip Spell | Equip only to a Spellcaster-Type Monster. The equipped monster can attack twice per turn.**_

_**Renewal Wand | Equip Spell | Equip only to a Spellcaster-Type monster. Once per turn, you can discard 1 Spellcaster-Type monster then have your opponent draw 1 card. After both has happened, add 1 card from your Deck to your hand.**_


	18. One for the Road

**Yes, the title is a callback to that one episode of Duel Monsters. I am not sorry.**

* * *

The sun shone brightly down on Duel Academy, on this day, february the nineteenth. Deep within the main building, in a particular one of its rooms, a particular student had found another way to spend her morning.

Jasmine gazed over the screen in the wall, biting down her unease at the prospect. No-one in history had managed to beat him, she knew, well, except for that one rumor about a guy named Raphael, and the one about Joey Wheeler pulling it off after the first Battle City tournament, but that was years ago.

On the screen was a single blue backdrop. Its display was divided into two sections, the left and the right.

On the left was a full-body picture of the Duelist who was currently selected as the opponent for the computer to simulate. The Duelist was a legendary one, garbed in violet skinny jeans and an unsleeved black shirt, with a jacket hanging like an improvised cape from his lithe shoulders. His hair was wild and tri-colore. Above was displayed the name of the King of Games and the deck file that had been chosen - Classic Yugi, Battle City V3.

On the right were several rows of Duel Monsters cards, ten in each row and their face sides presented. They were rendered as big enough that their text was readable. Jasmine's eyes scanned them nervously. She spotted several of Yugi's most famous and most powerful cards among the roster. Many of the monsters - the Dark Magicians, the Poker Knights, the Magnet Warriors, the Dark Paladin - were classics from the original Battle City tournament, but there was also a few cards from later tournaments (the Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning card he was rumored to have, the Chaos forms of his Dark Magician duo and Dark Paladin Girl, the Winged Kuriboh, Arcana Knight Joker). His Spell and Trap lineup awed her equally much, and reminded her why Yugi was the reigning King of Games.

In her mind, the idea of finding a different opponent, like Joey Wheeler or Seto Kaiba, aired itself. She dismissed it almost right on the spot. This was the closest thing anyone would ever come to taking on Yugi in the early days, of Duelist Kingdom and Battle City and the Grand Championship, before he had truly reached his best. The more of a challenge she got, though she had no doubts she would lose this one, the better for her rematch.

The room the brunette was in was one whose walls were black as obsidian glass. The room was of moderate size. It was illuminated by a single lamp of polished cream-yellow glass, shaped a perfectly rounded disk, that was embedded in the center of the ceiling, so as to let the room's sole occupant actually see what she was doing.

With only a modicum of hesitation, her hand reached for the button beside the control panel. The simulation was begun with a conjured three-dimensional image of Yugi Muto. Around his wrist was a Duel Disk, a rather old model and more angular version of hers, the Battle City design.

"DUEL!" declared both parties. They drew the five cards of their opening hands. The first turn went to the holographic Yugi, who drew.

The computer-controlled world champion looked pensively at his hand, before picking out the number three on the left. "I summon, my Jack's Knight," he stated.

A playing card appeared in the space between them. It depicted the solitaire card, the Jack of Spades. Beginning to spin, it completed three revolutions before the Jack's Knight had materialized behind it, and that it vanished into nothingness.

The Playing Card Swordsman carried with him a shield and a sword, plated in blue and silvery armaments that oddly left his midriff and striking abs exposed. In front of the four-star Warrior appeared the power meter as per usual, signaling his attacking strength to be 1800.

"Next, I activate my Swords of Revealing Light," continued the virtual Yugi, holding up the card. Jasmine grimaced at the bright white-green light that now bathed the room, courtesy of the small sun the magic card had conjured up. Then, beams of electric light hailed down towards the brunette, and formed a cage of pure radiance. "Now and for the next three turns to come, your monsters can no longer attack."

Jas sighed in annoyance, blowing on a lock of her hair.

"With that, my first turn can come to a close," concluded the wild-haired man.

Jasmine drew. The fifteen-year-old glanced at Double Spell Wand, then at the other cards in her hand. Her mind was split between summoning her Breaker or her Silent Magician. "Why don't we go for another round of warriors versus magicians? I summon Silent Magician LV4," the brunette declared as she put the card into attack position on her disk.

The next monster to grace the field rose up from her card, with a flash of golden-white light to accompany her entrance. Her style of dress was the exact opposite of that favored by the Silent Magician LV0; where Yugi's current master magician wore red and black garments, Jasmine's wore blue and white. Beyond their garments, one might almost think them siblings, or even twins, though.

A commonality between the two versions of Silent Magician showed itself in this one's attack point value, which was given by the scoreboard as 1000. "I know that she doesn't look like much now," defended Jasmine, "but that's about to change in a minute, literally."

She slid two more cards into her Disk's slots, and declared the end of her first turn. With that, a few of the light swords around her began to fade away.

"I draw," announced the virtual King of Games.

"And since you just did," interjected the Obelisk Blue, pointing to her fledgling sorceress, "the special ability of my Silent Magician kicks in. Now, she gets one Spell Counter, and five-hundred attack points to boot."

The holographic mage smiled innocently as her attack power rose to the average sum of 1500. The holographic Yugi gave no answer; not a clever quip nor an observation about either the Silent Magician or the state of the duel.

"Attack, my warrior," Yugi commanded to the Jack's Knight. Almost in a mechanical fashion, the swordsman charged towards the mage.

"Not so fast," Jasmine countered, and clicked to activate her face-down card. "I activate a Spell, and it's one you might recognize," she pointed down to the left card. The hologram rose to reveal its image side. Its image was of several stage magician hats.

The card picture released a white flash of light, and brought four of the top hats it depicted onto the field. The Jack's Knight was given pause by the occurrence. "Now, I get to hide cards under the Magical Hats, such as my Silent Magician, and shuffle the hats around. After that, your attack goes for whichever of the hats you choose."

Hat number three moved to conceal the Silent Magician, after which all four hats merged together to then separate again. They arranged themselves in a single line. Jack's Knight was momentarily surprised, then resumed his attack, going after piece-of-headgear number four from the left.

His steel slashed the fabric of the hat asunder, but only that. Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief, glad that hadn't been the hat with Silent Magician in it. The hat broke apart, into thousands of fading pixels.

Unfazed by the failed attack, Yugi declared the summoning of a creature made from a material equally metal and stone, who also carried a sword and a shield - his Alpha the Magnet Warrior. Its strength of defense was given as 1700.

Jasmine smirked. _"The first turn of using Silent Magician's power-up ability is always the riskiest, but now I'm in the clear,"_ she thought, and conducted her next draw. She was met with the Mage of Transmutation card. She gazed at the card, weighing her options with its effect. It took her almost a third of a minute to figure out what she wanted to do with it.

"I summon, Mage of Transmutation," she announced. Next to the remaining three hats, there appeared a bald chocolate-skinned woman barely in her twenties who was garbed in violet robes that left only her head uncovered. Her power level rating clocked in at 1200. "With her, I get to discard a single card from my hand and also let you draw a card, then I get to take any card of the same kind, a monster or a Spell or a Trap, as the one I dumped from my Deck. I give my Rapidfire Wand," she slid the card away, then picked up her Deck from its tray, "and in exchange, I take Wonder Wand," she held the card out for the holograms to see. The holograms barely seemed to care.

Within her Magical Hat, it went unseen that the Silent Magician reacted to the virtual Yugi conducting another draw via gaining another Spell Counter and more arcane night; exactly two-thousand points worth of it. In Yugi's hand, Pot of Greed found its place. On the field, the dark-skinned woman was empowered by the staff she wielded, to 1700 points.

"Jeez, tough crowd," she muttered to herself. "By equipping Wonder Wand to my Mage of Transmutation, I get the option of sending them both to the graveyard and then draw two new cards," she disclosed. The sorceress and the staff she carried were themselves transformed into two orbs of light that flew into her deck, causing it to radiate a golden glow. The light lingered until she drew the two cards.

She grinned broadly at the sight of Mage Power. _"That's exactly what I needed!"_ thought the brunette gleefully. "I move my Silent Magician out of the Magical Hat," she declared. The center one of the three hats left lifted itself up, to reveal the dark-dressed sorcerer. "Next," she held up the Mage Power card, "I use my Mage Power to strengthen her with five-hundred attack and defense for each of my Spells and Trap out on the field, so that puts her on even footing with the Dark Magician."

The power meter appeared. Contrary to what she expected, the young witch's offense and defense ratings became 3000 and 2000. Her face scrunched over in confusion. "When did you get another Spell Counter?" she wondered, before it dawned on her when that had happened. "Oh, right. Guess I missed that."

The Obelisk Blue concluded the end of her turn, and more of the light swords vanished.

The simulation drew once more, and the attack power of Silent Magician rose to 3500.

"First, I activate Pot of Greed," Yugi declared. At the same as he added the cards Monster Reborn and Berfomet to his hand, Silent Magician gained her fourth and semi-final Spell Counter, and along with that, an attack strength literally equal to that of a deity. "I activate the equip card, United We Stand, and give it to Jack's Knight," he said. Jack's Knight tightened his grip on weapons as his attack and defense power ratings skyrocketed, all the way to 3400 and 2800. "You see, for every monster I control, his strength rises by eight-hundred points, both offensively and defensively."

Jasmine grimaced, keenly aware of what was gonna go down next.

"I normal summon Winged Kuriboh in defense mode, granting my knight the final push he needs to topple your mage," Yugi smirked. Exactly as he said, the attack power of Jack's Knight rose to the titanic sum of forty-two-hundred. By the side of the mighty warrior was a tiny lump of brown fur with white-feathered wings, tiny green arms and legs, and very low stats.

"Yeah, I don't think this is gonna happen," Jasmine interjected. "I hide my Silent Magician back underneath one of the hats," she announced. As had happened before, the hat she had just left moved back over to conceal the aspiring mage, and the three hats merged then separated. After they had done that, they shuffled themselves around. _"I hope this works, otherwise, I'm all screwed."_

Jasmine glanced nervously, at both the hats and the charging swordsman. Time seemed to stand still as he buried his blade into the hat on the right. The perforated hat faded away, to reveal Silent Magician, skewered through the head by the Jack's Knight. The tip of his sword was jutting out from her silvery hair, almost soaked in blood. Drops of the liquid had wound up on the mage's hair.

Jasmine grimaced with discomfort at the gory sight, counting herself lucky she wasn't seeing the look on Silent Magician's face. She imagined it was worse. The drop in her Life Points to 3800 went unnoticed. The simulation declared the end of their turn.

_"Okay, reality check time,_" decided Jasmine, gazing over the field. _"I've got no monsters, he's got a heavy hitter with over four-thousand points and two others. I can't attack, and even if I could, I've got nothing close to Jack's Knight. Think, Jasmine, it's all you can do right now. If you can manage a two-card combo to rival Obelisk the Tormentor, you can figure a way outta this. Stay positive."_

Shelving the thought, the brunette drew what she recognized as another Breaker. A way out of this predicament almost immediately occurred to her. "I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior," she hollered forcefully, holding up the card.

Almost as soon as the card was tossed down, the scarlet-and-gold sword-wielding sorcerer manifested in all his glory. The summoning was concluded by the power meter appearing with its ordinary reading for the Breaker of Spells and Traps. His attack rose to 1900 then dropped again, with Jasmine ordering the power to channeled towards obliterating the magic empowering Jack's Knight.

Leveling his blade, the sorcerer unleashed a thin ray of electricity towards the swordsman. He was struck with faultless precision. In spite of the electricity coursing over him and through him, he stayed stoic. Even so, his attack power dropped to less than half of what it had been, though it remained two-hundred points higher than that of the mage. Both from the field and from the projected Duel Disk vanished now the card which had empowered the swordsman.

When Jasmine declared the end of her turn, the last few lightswords died down around her and her mage.

The holographic Yugi conducted his draw, the motion and the outcome both guided by the computer. What he had drawn was the Queen's Knight. He glanced briefly at it, then over at Berfomet in his hand.

"I sacrifice my Winged Kuriboh," called the simulation, "to summon Berfomet in his place."

The furball cooed, in excitement it sounded like, before erupting into myriad fragments that reformed as a humanoid but four-armed creature, with orange-brown skin, and shaggy black fur scattered sporadically on it, and ash-gray angel's wings. Here, the power meter indicated a strength of fourteen-hundred. The demon glared silently at her, as if taking her measure.

"Merely for summoning my Berfomet to the field," resumed Yugi, "I get to add Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts directly to my hand," golden lights danced, both in his hand and deck, and a new card formed in his hand.

Jasmine felt and looked both uneasy and excited; uneasy because he had both of the monsters needed to form his Chimera, excited for the same reason. _"Wonder if I'll get to see Arcana Knight Joker, or maybe Dark Paladin Girl, or maybe one of the Chaos magicians?"_

She was interrupted in her thoughts by Yugi's trio of creatures going to war. Jack's Knight laid her Breaker low, doling a measly two-hundred points of damage. Alpha the Magnet Warrior delivered a stab to her abdomen. Berfomet slashed into her leg. By the time, Yugi ended his turn, the Obelisk had only 800 Life Points left while his were still untouched.

Jasmine panted, struggling to stay on her feet. "Yannow," she breathed, pausing slightly, "for a couple of Solid Vision holograms, you h-guys pack a punch."

With visible effort this time around, she reached for her deck to draw. She glanced at the card, seeing Negate Attack. _"That,"_ thought she, pleased, _"I can work with," _she looked towards the field, and the three Yugi Muto classics. She decided it was time she turned this around. "I summon another Breaker the Magical Warrior to the field," she declared.

Again, a humanoid creature wielding a shield and sword, outfitted in golden and crimson armaments, appeared on the field. As had happened before, the Spellcaster's attack power rose to 1900 once he received his Spell Counter.

"Check this out: I equip him with the Double Spell Wand," she announced, holding up the green-colored card. Its image was of a gold-colored staff whose tip was fitted with a ruby and a sapphire.

When she inserted it into the disk, the sword that Breaker carried began to shine, or rather, the jewels embedded in the crossguard of his sword did, as the arcane forces invoked began doing their thing. The glow quickly died down, and the embedded jewels were now the scarlet and aquamarine gemstones from the staff. The arcane gemstones on the chest section of Breaker's armor had undergone the same change.

"Now, he's got a sweet new ability," she grinned. "Now, Breaker can attack not just when it's my turn, but during _your_ turn! First, you can say farewell to Jack's Knight," she said, pointing to the swordsman. Nothing much happened after she said that; Breaker didn't attack him, at least. "Breaker, attack," she deadpanned. Breaker attacked, and his blade impacted with that of that the swordsman.

Their weapons scratched audibly against one another. Neither warrior seemed about to make headway, being too equally matched. Then, the Jack's Knight's sword cracked under the pressure the Breaker was exerting. Breaker's blade slashed down across the other's torso, inflicting a small cut on the exposed flesh. Jack's Knight cried out, a moment before shattering into almost thousands of pixels that shrunk away into oblivion. From the battle, Yugi sustained a hundred points of battle damage.

All that she had to conclude her turn with was a single set card. It was Negate Attack.

All that he had to initiate his turn with was a single drawn card. It was Buster Blader. The AI guiding the simulation immediately processed every facet and card of the current situation, every card and effect and combo possible with the nine cards it had in the hand and on the field.

"I sacrifice Alpha and Berfomet to summon the legendary dragon slayer," declared Yugi. The rock-creature and the demon were immediately transmuted into bundles of light, the one colored brown and the other colored dark-violet, that took the shapes of spheres barely larger than a balled fist. They joined together, and began shaping their combined energies into a almost humanoid, and brawny, figure.

The new creature quickly gained both solidity and textures, appearing to Jasmine as another swordsman in predominantly violet armor that further featured both silvery and golden sections. A pair of rubies shone, attached to the armor on both sides of his head-section. His weapon of choice was a sword so massively over-sized that both of the duelists almost were shorter than the blade. The power meter signaled a reading of 2600.

"Coooool," murmured Jasmine. With a bitta luck, she thought, this would lead to one of the Paladins seeing action. Her good mood evaporated when she glanced at her hand, the one card that remained in it. She glanced past the dragon slayer, to Yugi's hand, estimating that there were six cards left in it. _"I'm way behind, in every way - Life Points, number of cards, monster strength... Yugi's deck is everything the legend says, and this one doesn't even have the God Cards... I need to refill my hand, and fast."_

"Buster Blader," Yugi's voice broke into her musings, "slay that magician."

The warrior immediately charged at the spellcaster.

"I counter with Negate Attack," Jasmine gestured to her face-down card, which now sprang up. The dragon slayer's sword struck loudly against an invisible barrier, inches away from Breaker. She then dumped the card into her disk's graveyard tray.

Yugi ended his turn without putting anything else on the field. Jasmine conducted another draw, with an exaggerated gesture of swinging her arm. She glanced at the magic card, surprised by her draw. The card's image was of the Dark Magician, flanked by the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

The brunette declared another summoning; this time, the mage she called forth was a elf girl with light-blue skin and waist-length strawberry-gold hair, garbed in a green dress-robe-mixture that left the top section of her shoulders and chest uncovered. An oddly shaped piece of headgear, of pure green material and featuring two large holes by design, was what she wore on her noggin. For her, the power meter read 2000 points of defensive prowess.

"Her special power is that once per turn, she can raise another monster's attack or defense power by five-hundred," she disclosed, "and I'm thinking my Breaker could use an upgrade."

The elven female clasped her hands, appearing almost to be sitting in prayer. The power meter appeared in front of Breaker, going from 1600 to 2100. "I know, I know; wasted effort, so let's try it again: I activate the Spell Card, Effect Reboot. Lessee, how to put this... ummm... well, basically, it means that any effect restricted to once-per-turn use can be used one more time, so now, the attack power of Breaker becomes 2600!"

She was right on the money; the power meter appeared again, and the reading's number rose again. The sorcerer-knight charged into battle against the dragon slayer. They both swung their swords towards their foe's side, unguarded areas of their bodies. The outcome of their battle was mutually assured destruction.

The two monsters detonated, clouding the field in dust. Jasmine grimaced, covering her eyes with her elbow. The holographic Yugi gazed unflappably even as the ashes engulfed them both. The smoke cleared, baring the field once more. All that remained, on either side, was Jasmine's Kindly Mystical Elf and face-down card.

She removed both her Breaker and Double Spell Wand from the disk's field zones, then declared to end her turn as she dumped them into the graveyard. "When my turn ends, my Elf's second ability activates which gives me five-hundred Life Points."

Jasmine's Life Point meter appeared. Both the colored bar and the number rose up, to 1300 in total. Ignoring it completely, the simulated champion drew, what turned out to be the Mystical Refpanel card.

"You fought bravely," the simulation recited one of its programmed lines, "but I'll end this now. I activate Monster Reborn to resurrect Buster Blader, then I summon Queen's Knight to join him."

On the right side of her opponent's field, the ankh shone brightly, calling the dragon slayer back among the living. On the left side, the Queen's Knight card had been rendered, as a doorway for the female warrior to step onto the stage of battle. First, the dragon slayer felled her elf, then the soldier of solitaire wiped her Life Points clean.

It was not long after this match that she had found new surroundings elsewhere on the island.

On the platform above the front entrance to the main building, Jasmine was sitting from the ledge. A breathtaking view unfolded before her, of the verdant island landscape and glittering sea beyond, but her attention wasn't on it.

Her attention was on her deck, and the top card of it, a preteen mage dressed which was a Silent Magician LV4. She gazed idly on the card. It wasn't technically on the list of cards Yugi had used over the years like her copy of Magical Hats and Magic Cylinder were, but it was close enough to the Silent Magician LV0 that she was happy to have gotten one.

Part of Jasmine wondered why there were two versions of the Silent duo around. Yugi's pair was different from modern LV monsters, they increased their own attack-power and levels without being different cards, like how Silent Swordsman LV3 had three higher forms. She imagined that the Silent Swordsmen and Magicians were sibling duos who followed their own paths to attaining power. She liked that idea. Duel Monsters as a game was designed to let you develop your own strategy and win with it no matter what it was, after all.

Victory, she mused plaintively. She would like a victory over Alexis. She had fought and won many duels as practice, for their coming rematch.

A memory played in her mind, of her facing a Ra Yellow student by the oceanside, of facing his Silent Swordsman LV10, a three-thousand-points heavy hitter that negated all her Spells, with only her Card Ejector which had been elevated to 2400 points, and winning the game with the Magic Cylinder.

She had thought she could win through having a lot of clever tricks at her disposal - why bother with monster battles when she could lock her opponents out of their Spells and Traps with Secret Village and Royal Decree? Her recent Duels had taught her better; both Alexis and Chazz had beaten her, with more raw power than she could handle.

_"It's like, like,"_ she mused, fumbling to find the right word in her brain's dictionary. _"It's like everything I've done these last few weeks is run down this endless road, and Alexis is just... hovering over me, silently encouraging me to be better. No, it's like she's a dozen steps ahead of me, no matter how far or how fast I run_. Well, that's the Queen of Obelisk Blue for ya..."

The brunette looked somewhat plaintively at the stack of cards, certain that now, she had both the skill and the strength to match Alexis, to prove she was more than her fangirl, that she was actually gifted in some way.

Jasmine was ordinary. She knew it, she hated it. Where Alexis got the cool title of 'Queen of Obelisk Blue', the dueling prowess, the gorgeous looks and tallness, and even freakin' magical powers handed to her by the universe on a silver platter, she was average and plain and normal.

She was given pause in that thought, by a light emerging from the deck. She gaped widely, amazed to see Silent Magician come out.

The blue-and-white-wearing mage floated in the air as though she was lying on a hammock, appearing translucent to Jasmine. "S'up," the female Spellcaster greeted off-handedly, half-heartedly raising a hand in greeting.

Still a bit befuddled, Jasmine extended her arm, and waved her hand through the mage. Silent Magician shot her an askance, or perhaps questioning, look, and poked the hand she had waved through her.

If she didn't know about the existence of the twelve dimensions, Jasmine was sure she would've thought she was hallucinating or dreaming. She still kinda thought she was.

"So," asked the spellcaster, with a sly smirk, "didcha forget how to talk when ya woke up today, or are you always this dim, brownie?"

Silent Magician looked her over. Not she'd expected from her first trip to the human realm, but she could always appreciate a chick with a decent rack.

"Sorry," mumbled Jasmine. She wondered what the polite thing to say was, in the event that a card came to life. "I just didn't expect, well,_ whatever **this**_ is. Sorry, but _who_ are _you_?"

The spiritual creature scoffed, tipping her hat. "Name's Sora, but you can call me Sora."

"I'm Jasmine," the brunette introduced herself. "So, urhmm, what brings you here?"

Sora frowned. "Never mind, whatta ya do for fun on this plane of existence?"

Jasmine shrugged her shoulders. "Dueling, a lot of the time."

The Silent Magician's face lit up, with mixed fascination and surprise. "Really? There're duelists on this plane? This plane just got a helluva lot better."

Shaking off her lingering surprise, Jasmine glanced down to her right, and picked the student PDA up. "I was actually gonna call a friend to have one before you made your little entrance."

It took little time for her to find Alexis' name on the calling list, and only a click to make the call. She hoped there wasn't any supernatural crap going down on her end right now.

Over in the Obelisk Blue girl's dorm, in the north-west region of he hall that was their common room, Alexis was seated in a couch with a few others (a lime-haired fifteen-year-old named Rina, a lavender-haired girl named Yolei, a brown-haired fourteen-year-old called Hilary, a red-head by the name of Gwen, a pair of blondes named Riza and Winry).

They were privy to the show of a four-way duel, one waged between Mindy (who fielded her Inferno Wing and nothing else) and Irma (who fielded Catapult Turtle in defense and Spiral Serpent, along with two face-downs) and Disa (who fielded only Thestalos the Mega Monarch) and Rachel (who fielded a Des Feral Imp and Des Horn Imp, with three face-downs to guard them).

Alexis then received the call, alerted to it by audible beeping. She gave both her fellow spectators and the duelists a sheepish apology, then answered it. Without any hesitation, the Queen of Obelisk Blue left the room, to attend to her next challenge.

After about twenty minutes of waiting, give or take five, Jasmine spotted Alexis come up the stairs. A Duel Disk was strapped to the blonde's arm. Standing up, the brunette strode towards the blonde. They walked in silence, gazes locked, until there was barely a twelve-metre distance between them.

"Ready for a rematch?" asked the brunette. She released a faint sigh. Weeks of practice, several overhauls of her deck, a lost first match, and it was all for this moment.

"Always," answered the blonde of the duo, a grin on her face. She could feel, in both her gut and heart, that this was gonna be a good match. She had no doubts of it.

And so, with a shared declaration of '**Let's Duel!**', they drew their opening hands. They were immediately signaled, via the beeping of the disks, that Alexis was to commence the proceedings.

With a dramatic flourish, the blonde took herself another card. After looking at it, noting the card to be her Snow Fairy, she added it to her hand.

"Let's start this off with a classic; I summon Blizzard Dragon," she announced.

A whirlwind of snow-dust rose up from the ground. The winds petered out almost a moment after they had come, and left behind was the dragon. The violet-blue-and-white-hided creature carried itself on all four, like a gorilla might, gazing at its invoker's adversary with baleful red eyes. The power meter followed its emergence, signaling a reading of 1800 to both players.

The Queen of Obelisk Blue followed it up with a set card; it was holographically rendered on the battlefield as an oversized copy of itself, behind the dragon. Then, her turn was concluded.

Jasmine drew her next card. She inspected the Sage of Stillness briefly, then put it away in her hand. "I summon, Breaker the Magical Warrior," she placed the card on the disk.

A spot of the floor began to glow with gold light, and the knight-mage rose up to serve her. The dual-sided display revealed itself, telling them what they both already knew about the sorcerer: What his attack strength was.

"How unexpected," deadpanned Alexis. At the same moment, the ability of the mage kicked in, raising his power level to 1900.

Jasmine shrugged her shoulders at the remark. Declaring to use her monster's effect, Breaker lowered his sword, and unleashed a bolt of blue electricity towards the blonde's face-down card. The card was consumed by the lightning and scorched on the spot, and broke apart into hundreds of fragments. Alexis picked the card out of the disk, and put it into her graveyard.

"And now, Mage Power'll give my Breaker a good power-up," the brunette boasted, putting the card into her disk. The card was projected onto the field, to the diagonal left behind the mage. Both its text and image, and its front side color, were visible to the blonde, who briefly read what it did. The effect of the card was directly shown to her, via Breaker's power reading being raised, from 1600 and 1000, to 2100 and 1500.

The warrior then charged into battle. The dragon fought back, firing its icy breath at him, but that only struck his shield, and not with enough power to push him away from the dragon. The battle was over with one swing of his sword. The dragon howled in agony, amid its death throes, and exploded into myriad degenerating fragments. Alexis did not escape unscathed from that battle, for it had cost her three-hundred Life Points.

With a relaxed motion, the blonde put her defeated dragon's card away, then looked over the four cards she held in her other hand. Of them, only her White Night Queen had enough attack power to match her Breaker. It was apparent to her that she needed a plan or a counter-move.

"For my next trick," resumed Jasmine, sternly, "I equip Renewal Wand to Breaker."

The knight-sorcerer's weapon lit up with pure white light, literally becoming encased in it. Its shape began to change - the tip of the blade became spherical and relatively large, the rest of the blade below that section lost its sharp edges as the material expanded. The glowing then dimmed, revealing the multiple jewels embedded in the wand's head. The magician's offensive and defensive prowess rose once more, to 2600 &amp; 2000 points.

Alexis regarded the mighty warrior uneasily. _"Something tells me I won't like where this is going."_

"And I'm gonna use its effect right away," Jasmine announced, her voice raised a tad. "By discarding my Sage of Stillness," she slid the card into the graveyard, "and by letting you draw one free card, I can take any card I want outta my deck, and I know just which."

Picking up the stack of cards, she shuffled through it. She quickly found what she had in mind. "I've chosen my Magician's Valkyria," she declared, holding the card up.

Alexis conducted her draw. To her surprise, it was her Field Trap. She glanced at her deck, wondering how deep down in it the White Night King was. "I'll place a card face-down, and end my turn," spoke the brunette. As the down-turned card manifested, the strength of her mage rose once again, to 3100 attack points and six-hundred less defense points.

Alexis stared, momentarily surprised by how powerful the magician had become. Shaking off her surprise, she picked up the top card of her deck, which she saw to be the Pot of Greed, and declared its activation. From it, she got the Blizzard Wall and Illusion Ice Sculpture cards.

Frowning, she mentally cursed her luck, for neither card would help now. After two cards had taken shape on her field in their face-down positions, she called the end of her turn.

Jasmine inspected her drawn card - a Kindly Mystical Elf - briefly before adding it to the other cards of her hand. Her gaze fell on the blonde's field, causing her to mentally debate the pros and cons of attacking. The chances of the face-down being an Ice Barrier were too good for her liking; she decided to be cautious, and snuck a peek at her hand, where there were two Valkyrias waiting to see play.

Almost right after she'd ordered him to, Breaker charged into battle. With him, he brought a degree of power great enough to lay low a Blue-Eyes or a Dragon Catapult Cannon. Every scrap of it was encapsulated in a single swing of his sword, and unleashed upon her creature, a humanoid figure formed from solid ice whose shape was covered in sharp edges and jagged protrusions.

The blade carved cleanly through its waist. The lower half fell over while the upper half crashed to the floor. Both halves of the statue broke apart, into uncountable splinters that were visibly cracked themselves. With impossible speed, the pieces melted into water, and the water evaporated into non-existence.

Alexis smirked as she removed the card from her disk. Jasmine had really gotten better; _this_ was shaping up to become a duel she could enjoy.

Jasmine continued her turn by summoning a Magician's Valkyria to defend her. A golden-white glow appeared on the field between them, to Breaker's left side.

From that, a human female figure rose up; her garments were stylized robes and a matching hat, hued predominantly an unremarkable shade of blue and with yellow outlines and patterns serving as decorations on her clothes. Her ginger hair was of staggering proportions, covering her back and reaching down to her waist. Her overall build was, like the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, slender and shapely; her face showed a frown of open yet mild anger, and spoke of little patience for crap of any kind on her part.

Her staff, unlike those of the Dark Magician pair, sported a head that was reminiscent of a sickle, and adorned with gold bands which featured pointed tips. These golden bands featured a trio of polished emeralds that shone with arcane might. The female mage glared across the field, at the enemy of her summoner, gripping her arcane tool firmly. The power meter appeared, signaling a attack power of 1600.

Once that had been done, she announced the conclusion of her turn.

Alexis looked over the brunette's field as she drew, not yet looking at the card. It was an impressive set-up, she thought. It was at once an offense and defense so powerful that it was almost perfect, she had to give Jasmine that. It was not, she reflected and glanced at the card she'd drawn, without its weakness.

"I summon Ice Knight, in attack mode," the blonde said, calmly placing the card onto the disk.

What appeared on her field was a caped warrior with a humanoid build. Said figure was clad in sky-blue and dark-purple ice, and the weapon it carried was a double-headed lance. The power meter appeared with a reading that at first was 1300, then rose to 1700.

She continued with the activation of her magic card, Icicle Sword. The icy tip of the whopping big armband protecting the warrior's left arm extended out from its casing until it was at the length of a blade. As well, her knight's strength rose quite a bit, due to its new equipment; its attack strength settled on 2200, and its defense power rose to 1700.

"Now, with this weapon, Ice Knight gains a new ability, to attack any card on the field," Alexis exposited. Jasmine had no doubt of what she was gonna go after, and confirmation of that fact came immediately, when Alexis ordered the knight to attack the Mage Power card. In practice, that turned out as Ice Knight swinging its ice blade, releasing a wave of energy towards the mage. Jasmine deliberated whether to activate Negate Attack, deciding against it. During the moment she had pondered that, the energy-wave had hit Breaker, whose attack and defense points were now returning to normal.

Unperturbed by its loss, Jasmine put the equipment card away. A glance at her monster zones was enough of a reminder to know that she had the whole thing ready to go.

Alexis declared the end of her turn. Jasmine picked up another card, a spell whose image depicted a wand tipped with a topaz upon which was engraved the symbol of the fabled Millennium Items.

"Next, I summon another Magician's Valkyria," declared the brunette. Now, to the right side of Breaker, another of the red-haired sorcerers emerged onto the battlefield. She was almost-scowling as much as the first one was. An attack power reading, of 1600, punctuated her arrival. "Ya know what this mean, Lexy?" a smirk grew on her face.

Alexis did - in an unending circle, one Valkyria would prevent attacks on the other and on any other Spellcaster. Together, they were the perfect defense. "Sure do, Jas," she grinned back._ "Problem is, how do I break through that?"_

The brunette glanced at her two wand cards, deliberating whether to make use of them. Right now, she had Alexis on the back foot, and the draw Lex would get from Renewal Wand might change that. With the other card, she had only a one-in-three chance of getting anything useful from Alexis' deck. Neither of them guaranted any help, she decided. "I end my turn."

Alexis drew her card, with an exaggerated flourish. A sharp and brief gasp escaped her once she saw what she had drawn. In its image was a burly man, built from solidified ice and snow and frost. Directly above the image, the text box read White Night King.

She glanced at the king, then the queen, then the field card. She could scarcely wrap her mind around having all three, and the chance to actually activate the Field Trap. _"Just my luck, I draw the cards, and I still can't use them..." _

The blonde glanced at the field, where she had only one creature out of the four needed to summon both of her monarchs. Then, she moved her drawn card into her hand, for her other hand to hold. "Okay, Jasmine, maybe I can't get a hit in on your magicians, but my knight can still attack the equip spell! Ice Knight, attack Renewal Wand!"

Once more, the knight of the White Night court swung his blade, sending another wave of cold light and power towards the red-and-gold-dressed knight. This time, Jasmine hurriedly declared the activation of Negate Attack. The unleashed blast halted upon collision with an invisible barrier, shielding all three of the sorcerers from harm.

Moving her attention from the field to her hand, the gears of the blonde's brain began turning. _"I need two sacrifices for either of the monarchs, but Frost Sprite and Snow Fairy would just get mowed down out there... that's some great dueling, Jasmine, you've got me in a real dilemma. Guess I don't have a choice. _I summon Snow Fairy, in defense mode."

Another whirlwind rose from the floor, its funnel expanding while petering out to reveal the lightly-attired ice princess, genuflecting with her arms folded. Beneath her, the backside of her card had manifested, and served as a seat. The summoning was concluded by a power level reading of 700.

Alexis followed it up with a click of a button to open the field card hatch of the Duel Disk's field section, and the insertion of a face-down card. The tray slid back in.

Jasmine looked befuddled by the action, wondering why there wasn't a Solid Vision area being generated, before an answer came to her: It was not a Field _Spell,_ it was a Field_ Trap_ that the blonde had played just now. She doubted it was possible, Field Traps were incredibly rare, but... they existed, so she guessed it could be that. "No way, you actually have a Field Trap?"

Alexis nodded. "I've never had a chance to use it before. This is a first."

"Great," grumbled Jasmine. She did and didn't want to find out what its effect was._ "It has to be something that can defend Snow Fairy somehow. That one doesn't stand a chance, and Alexis knows it."_

"Well," said the blonde, finally. "I end my turn."

Jasmine drew Magic Cylinder, off-handedly adding it to her hand. _"Think, what can that face-down card do; will it raise Snow Fairy's defense, will it block an attack, will it destroy an attacking creature? Come to think of it, is it even a good idea to attack, I don't have any spells I need to use... well, n__ope, I can't take the risk of attacking right now. I need to strengthen my position, that's what I need._ I summon Kindly Mystical Elf, in defense mode," she announced, putting the card down with an easy gesture.

On her field, the first thing to appear was the back side of the card - broadly painted brown, with a simple dark-colored oval dot marking at the center of the card backing.

Golden glowing then emanated from the dark-colored oval, and the green-robed elf girl came up from within the card. She was in the standard, arms-folded and crouching, position that most defense-position creatures were. For her, a defense power reading of 2000 was presented to both players.

"Now, courtesy of her, I get to give one of my dudes five-hundred extra attack or defense points," she exposited. "And I'm thinking, she wouldn't mind an upgrade."

She pointed to her mage, almost at the same moment that the statistics panel appeared. Unceremoniously, it went up to 2500. She continued her turn, declaring to change both her Valkyrias to defense mode. In turn, she picked their cards up and put them back down, turned ninety degrees. Their Solid Vision projections moved into genuflecting positions. In front of them both, matching power meters appeared with identical readings of 1800.

The brunette looked ahead, to the lithe princess over all things cold. Once again, she debated whether to commence an attack with Breaker, if it was worth the risk, in light of the unknown field card.

Jasmine had thought she'd known the blonde's tactics and strategies, their ups and downs, ins and outs. Jasmine did know what Alexis having two monsters to tribute likely meant. Even so, this Field Trap of hers was a surprise to her.

She deliberated for a moment whether to attack or not, before coming to a decision. "I set a card. Turn end."

Her face-down card materialized, unceremoniously. The activation of the elf girl's second power, which gave Jasmine five-hundred more Life Points, went uncommented upon; if not for its effects of making the brunette's Life Point score 4500, it might as well never have happened.

Alexis drew and added Star Blast to her hand. "I activate Star Blast; by paying five-hundred of my Life Points, White Night King becomes a six-starred monster," she declared, holding up the spell.

On her field, appeared the large-built man as a spectral figure; at the same time, her Life Point meter appeared and fell to 3200. "I now sacrifice Snow Fairy to summon him!"

An almost bone-chilling wind blew over the area, from behind the blonde. In slightly more than the span of a single heart-beat, the gust became a blizzard, and one that was so intense that it almost fully obscured the blonde from the brunette's sight.

The snow-storm died down in that very same moment, almost. In its wake, her field was left greatly changed; the princess of ice and snow was no longer to be seen beside the knight, and the lord of all things cold had emerged in her place. His arrival brought the power scoreboard out once more, bearing the number 2100.

Pursing her lips, Alexis looked at Jasmine's four monsters, debating which to take down first. Her decision was soon made. "White Night King, destroy Kindly Mystical Elf with your special ability: White Night Storm!"

Raising his left hand, the monarch unleashed a blast of wind and snow towards the monster his invoker had designated. The elf sorceress froze in an instant; every bone and organ, and every cell in her body. A thin layer of frost coated her exterior.

As soon as she had been frozen over, some force went off within her. A ray of forceful light shone from a crack in her right eye, bright and strong enough that it was visible from where Alexis was standing. With a single explosion from within, the elf was shattered into frozen chunks of holographic flesh, with remarkably little blood to see anywhere on them, which fell almost at random down around the area around her. These chunks then dissolved into pixels, which themselves were reduced to nothingness.

Deciding to err on the side of caution, Alexis called the end of her current turn.

The next card the brown-haired teen drew was the Sage of Silence; quickly looking over their field, Jasmine though it unlikely for the white-clothed mage to make a difference, and put with her other cards in hand.

Her mind raced, checking the cards she had and that Alexis had in play, one by one, hoping to find a way out of this mess. The metaphorical lightbulb immediately went up. "I activate the power of the Renewal Wand; by discarding Sage of Silence, I get to take the Royal Decree card from my deck," the brunette paused. After putting the monster card away, she picked up and searched her deck for the card in question, quickly finding it and putting the deck back into its slot. "'Course, you get to draw a card, but, well, you probably remembered that..."

"Yeah," answered the blonde, conducting her draw. She confirmed it with a quick look to be another Ice Knight. _"So, going for a lock-down, are we?" _she commented mentally, "but thanks for the reminder anyway."

Jasmine glanced over her hand, frowning in thought._ "The only way I can take down her White Night King is with Precognition Wand, but that way, I either need to give up Breaker and two of my other cards, or, ram a Valkyria at the King and thus lose my defensive lock. If I don't, well, I'm screwed."_

Hesitating a moment the brunette fished a card out from her wand, and declared to equip the staff to the paladin. The shield that the scarlet-garbed mage carried shone white, and changed shape. Its glowing then dimmed, showing that in his other hand, Breaker now carried a long and emerald-green staff whose head was endowed with a lime-green gemstone, and whose tip was divided into two sections; one nested inside the other.

"The first thing this wand does is amp him up, by five-hundred points," exposited Jasmine. Almost on command, the power meter appeared, rising from 1600 to 2100. "However, it's the second thing ya oughta worry about, because it also lets me get a peek at the top of your deck. If it turns out to be a monster, I get it; if not, you get it."

In a span of time shorter than either could utter a word in, the hardware of the disks projected a single card; it had been rendered as almost taller than either of them, and every detail on its front side was comparatively scaled up yet there was no loss in image quality because of it.

The card's image depicted a white-furred-and-striped tiger who appeared almost an ordinary animal, except for it showing the fangs of its distant sabretooth relative, and of course, that it was adorned with a honkin' big icicle as a horn, and two further on the shoulders of its forelegs.

Alexis walked over to her, handing her the card, then walked back over to her spot. The feline leapt out from the image, taking a spot to the left of the three mages. The tiger growled, gutturally and menacingly, a sound that words could almost not convey. For it, the power meter presented an attack power at 1900.

Jasmine took a look at the White Night King, then, after a momentary pause, ordered Breaker to attack the monarch.

The sorcerer complied, breaking into a run towards the king. The monarch balled his fists and gestured at the approaching sorcerer, unleashing a blizzard, concentrated into a ray of almost solidified frost, directly at the sorcerer, but it did nothing to halt his approach. Once the sorcerer had reached his foe, then did he unleash his arcane might in earnest.

There was an explosion, then a cloud of smoke blanketed the field. The smoke died down rapidly, laying bare a battlefield where not the smallest trace of either combatant lingered.

Almost in perfect synchronization, they removed their fallen fighters from their disks and slid them into their graveyard, with calm motions. Jasmine further gave her equipment cards the same treatment.

After a pause, Jasmine spoke, "I set a card," the card materialized next to her other face-down, "and then I'm gonna call it a turn."

Releasing a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, Alexis drew Blizzard Dragon. A smirk was painted on her lips. The blonde couldn't remember when she last had partaken in such a exhilarating match. Even theit tag-team match against Kagemaru paled in comparison.

With a vigorous motion, she put another monster card on the disk. "I summon," she began at the same time that the hologram of the second Ice Knight was rendered, "Ice Knight, in attack mode. Here's the kicker, for each Aqua-type monster I control, my Ice Knights gain four-hundred attack points, so that means eight-hundred points for them both!"

As she spoke, the panels had appeared in front of both knights; their numbers rose at a moderate pace, settling on, respectively, 2100 and 2600.

Jasmine frowned, ill-pleased with where this was going.

"Ice Knight number two, attack Frost Tiger! Hailstorm Slash!" commanded Alexis. The swordsman charged towards the tiger.

Jasmine pointed at her face-down. "Activate, Magic Cylinder!" she declared, and the card sprang up. In its image-box were stylized dice cups, the sort one might associate with a stereotypical stage magician, which were adorned with a distinctive question mark motif.

"As I control, I now get to choose where your attack goes," exposited the brunette, "and I was thinking the other Ice Knight."

The cylinders were manifested onto the field, and the Valkyria on the right raised her staff. Without breaking stride, the newly-summoned Ice Knight charged into the first cylinder, and emerged from the second, rushing towards the more seasoned knight.

Their battle was concluded with a disdainful glance from the stationary knight and a single swing of his sword. For the battle, Alexis took five-hundred points of direct damage, dropping her to 2700. As well, the knight lost the powerboost the presence of its comrade had given, dropping its attack power to 2200.

"Nice job," complimented Alexis, "but you haven't won yet. Because now, my other Ice Knight will take out your other face-down card. Attack with Blizzard Slash!"

Calmly, almost mechanically, the knight drew its arm back, in preparation for the swing. With a forceful sweeping gesture, it unleashed a wave of blisteringly cold force from the icy blade that washed outwards over the field, first reaching Jasmine's conjured monsters and leaving them unharmed, then coating her card in a thick layer of solid transparent ice in an instant.

The frozen card faded away along with its coating, and Jasmine slid it into her graveyard.

Alexis took a quick look at her hand - which was all monsters; Frost Sprite, White Night Queen, Blizzard Dragon - and announced the end of her turn.

Jasmine picked up her next card. To her dismay, it wasn't something big and badass, it was Card Ejector. Near the bottom of the card were the lime-haired mage's attack and defense power, presented as two matching numbers. With only four-hundred points, it was painfully clear to Jasmine that the green-haired girl would only get killed if she was summoned.

She sighed. "I end my turn."

Alexis drew. She observed it was her third and final Ice Knight. "I summon another Ice Knight," she declared. The swordsman's summoning was wholly unremarkable, honest. After it had been summoned, its attack power rose to 2100 while the Ice Knight who was already around gained another four-hundred points which put that knight at 2600 ATK.

The more empowered of the two knights engaged in battle with the tiger, striking it down but dealing no damage to the brunette.

She then ended her turn, lacking other options. The two magicians guarded their own too thoroughly for the blonde to make an attack.

Jasmine drew once more, and it was a second copy of Royal Decree. She ended her turn almost right after she'd drawn that card, recognizing that any Spell or Trap she set would be destroyed by the empowered Ice Knight.

The blonde's next draw was her Snowman, a card without an effect. Aware that it wouldn't be of any use in breaking Jasmine's combo, she brought her Blizzard Dragon out in attack position, then ended her turn.

For three more turns on both sides, their statemate, and cycle of passively refilling their hands, continued.

"Talk about anti-climactic," commented Alexis, jovially. "All that back-and-forth, and now we're just biding our time and drawing cards."

"Yeah," mumbled Jasmine. She drew her Avarice Wand. Then, the Obelisk declared the end of her turn.

The blonde, her hand trembling minutely, drew. It was, she saw, Polymerization. A sly smirk immediately formed on her face. "Jasmine," she called out to the other. A quiet wind blew around her, ruffling her skirt almost undetectably. "You've fought a great duel, one of the best I've ever had, but I'm going to end it now."

Jasmine smiled. Somehow, losing didn't really bother her, not as much as she expected it would. _"Maybe I'm not good enough yet to beat you yet, but I will be someday soon. If my deck says anything about me, it's that," _she thought, calling back, "come on, then."

The blonde slid a card into her disk, and a violet swirling vortex was manifested behind her. "I now fuse Frost Sprite and Ice Angel together, into you-know-who! I summon Glacial Queen!" she hollered.

The twin sisters appeared, and were sucked into the vortex. Their bodies were subjected to the noodle effect, stretched to extreme thinness, by the forces it exerted upon them.

Then, from the vortex, stepped a being whose appearence matched the ice princesses in almost every regard. The primary exception was her size, as she looked about six or seven metres tall. As well, the monarch had four eyes, each of which were alight with white-blue energies. Arms folded, she gazed scrutinizingly at the field, towering over them all, standing behind Alexis.

The power meter appeared, signaling a power level of 2500 to the brunette.

Once the blonde had disposed of her used cards, she went on, "since I only used two of them for the fusion, she only gets her first and third ability. As long as I control her, you don't get to conduct your draw or battle phases."

Jasmine pouted. She took a look at her deck, which was now frozen over. Then, her gaze fell on the cards she held in her hand. She looked each of the cards - Card Ejector, Royal Decree, Negate Attack, Effect Reboot, Queen of the Cosmos, Avarice Wand - over, but failed to come to a conclusion other than that she was screwed. _"Not enough attack power, and can't attack anyway..."_

She knew full well that it was only a matter of time before she lost this - Lexi still had Ice Master and the field card Absolute Zero Barrier.

"I surrender," she declared, holding her hand over her deck. Her hand moved to press on the central gem. The life point display appeared, rolling down from 4500 to zero. The holograms faded away.

After a moment's silence, Alexis spoke. "That," she breathed. "was _awesome! _Well, not so much the ending, but this was a great Duel, Jasmine, let's have another rematch sometime."

The blonde sauntered over to the chocolate-haired Obelisk, raising her hand for a high-five. The brunette figured, why not, and returned the gesture.

* * *

**Aaaand that's a wrap. Sorry it got so winded; the next one won't be quite as long. Now for the card section.**

* * *

_**Dark Paladin Gir****l ****| 7/DARK/Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect | 2400/2000 | "Dark Magician Girl" + "Buster Blader" | Must be Fusion Summoned and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. When this card is Fusion Summoned successfully, declare a Monster Type. This card gains 300 ATK for each monster with the declared Type on the field or in either player's Graveyard. During either player's turn, when a Trap Card is activated: You can discard 1 card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it. This card must be face-up on the field to activate and to resolve this effect.**_

_**Effect Reboot | Quick-Play Spell | Target an effect monster you control that has an effect which either activates upon its summoning or can be activated once per turn: Immediately activate that effect as though its activation timing is correct.**_

_**Magical Hats | Quick-Play Spell | Activate only if you control 1 or more Spellcaster-Type monsters. Four Magical Hats appear on the field (these do not occupy card zones). During either player's turn, you can place a card from either your field or hand underneath one of the Hats (you are required to announce this action). A Magical Hat can be attacked as though it was a monster on the field, but you take no battle damage from battles involving it. If a Spell/Trap Card hiding underneath a Magical Hat is attacked by a monster, immediately activate that card (if its effect would be inapplicable or its conditions are not met, send it to the Graveyard).**_

_**Precognition Wand | Equip Spell | Equip only to a Spellcaster-Type monster. It gains 500 ATK/DEF. Once per turn, you can reveal the top card of your opponent's Deck. If it is a monster that can be Normal Summoned, conduct a Normal Summon of it as you normally would (if you control enough monsters to tribute and/or have an open Monster Card Zone), to your side of the field. Otherwise, it is added to your opponent's hand.**_

**_Avarice Wand | Equip Spell | Equip only to a Spellcaster-Type monster. Each time the equipped monster destroys a monster by battle, draw 1 card. It gains 500 ATK/DEF._**

_**Queen of the Cosmos | 8/LIGHT/Spellcaster/Effect | 2800/2800 | Must be Normal Summoned by tributing 1 "Kindly Mystical Elf" and 1 "Vengeful Dark Elf". Monsters you control gain 500 ATK/DEF. Monsters your opponent control lose 500 ATK/DEF. During either player's End Phase, increase your Life Points by 500 and decrease your opponent's Life Points by 500.**_

_**Ice Angel | 4/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect | 1100/700 | Your opponent cannot activate Trap cards on the opponent's turn after they are Set.**_

_**Glacial Queen | 8/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect/Fusion | 2500/1300 | Any 2 or 3 of "Frost Sprite" and/or "Snow Fairy" and/or "Ice Angel" | Effect: Must first be Fusion Summoned, using the correct (printed) materials and "Polymerization".. Depending on the Fusion Material Monsters, this card gains the following effects.**_

_**● Frost Sprite: While you control this card, your opponent's Draw Phases are skipped.**_

_**● Snow Fairy: While you control this card, your opponent's Standby Phases are skipped.  
● Ice Angel: While you control this card, your opponent's Battle Phases are skipped.**_


	19. Hail the Queen of Hell

_When: Saturday, February 19, 2005 | Where: Central Duel Academy, main building_

An imaginary camera beheld the were multiple rows of desks in this bloody large room, and each had an isolated space for each student to work by. As always, there were students seated almost on every chair. As always, there was a teacher around. The room's mood was, as per usual, a relaxed one.

At the moment, another metagaming class was proceeding, and had without much of a hitch for about fifteen minutes already. From the teacher's seat, Professor Hibiki looked disinterestedly over the classroom. The wall-mounted screen behind her was blank dark.

The coal-haired woman rose from the chair. "Alright, let's review one of the fundamentals. Who can tell me what the most useful kind of card is, and why it is so?"

Several students raised their hands, with varying degrees of hurry.

From the third left-side seat of the second row, it was Ben from the house of Ra. From the first right-side seat of the third row, Rick the Slifer had done so. From the third left-side seat of the third row, there was Winry from Obelisk Blue. From the very front row of seats, on the left side and in the first chair, there was Bastion Misawa. Right beside him was his friend and fellow Ra, Dimitri Kagurazaka.

The thirty-something Headmistress pointed to the brunet among them. "Yes, Misawa?"

"The most useful cards in Duel Monsters are those whose abilities are generally applicable," answered Bastion. "The likes of Lightning Vortex and Horus the Black Flame Dragon, while very powerful, only work against a single category of cards, such as creatures on the field or Spells which are being activated. With Pot of Greed and its ilk, one can almost always benefit."

Midori nodded, but her attention was not on him. It was on the burning skull that had suddenly manifested over the student desks. "Alright," she raised her voice, drawing their collective attention to herself. "The class is dismissed."

The students rose from their seats, several at a time, and began to make their way out of the classroom. None of them really thought much of it, for it had become almost routine that Midori cancelled a class, every once in a while.

Once the last student had walked out, and the door had closed, Midori spoke. "What is it _this_ time? Did Marquis Forneus go on another rampage? No, actually, I have a question from the school chancellor. He was rather concerned you would want revenge for the Abandoned Dorm affairs."

The skull swayed gently, and its fire began to take on emerald hues. It gazed, long and deep, upon Midori with its hollow eyesockets, as though it was uncertain of her identity. Finally, it did make with an answer.

"No," boomed the cranium, in a faded voice. "You can tell your chancellor this: He can rest easy. Allow me to make this very clear. Earth is a single planet out of perhaps billions in a single galaxy out of perhaps billions, that exists on a single plane of existence out of the twelve that together make the universe. Your planet is a single market and single battlefield that I might give my attention to. He can have the earth if he so wishes, I will take the rest of the universe," he concluded, openly smug. "It may be difficult for humans to fathom this, but the universe is larger than your one world."

Midori huhhed. Surprisingly science fiction for a demon from Hell, thought the school-teacher.

"However, my visit today concerns not mere power-struggles," he went on. "I am here because I want you to be the new queen of the Netherworld."

Midori gaped, and almost gasped, wide-eyed. She quickly recovered her composure. "I'm flattered, really, but I'm not really looking for a husband right now. I'm certain that you're a charming hell-monster when you want to be, but I just don't swing that way."

If it was possible for a skull with hollow eyesockets to shoot a unamused glare, then the skull was doing so now. "Perhaps I did not make myself clear. I wish to abdicate my throne, and have you succeed me."

Midori blinked in surprise. "Explain that."

The skull hesitated to answer. In the span of his pause, the fire around him changed into violet hues. "Have you an inkling, Hibiki, how long I have roamed the universe, of how old I am? To tell you the truth, I am not certain myself. Millions of years sound about right. Before the coming of mankind, I ruled the earth and much beyond, and I was also here before the coming of the dinosaurs that ruled the earth before mankind. I was there at the fall of beautiful Atlantis, the crumbling of paradise. When the Crimson Dragon and the atlantean knights buried the greatest of all the demons that Hell has spawned, I watched the show with glee. When the Duel Monsters were driven from the earth, I had reigned in Hell for centuries already. All this, over ten millennia ago. Now," a somber note crept in his voice, "with the demise of Dartz, hallowed Atlantis is truly dead and gone."

Midori looked softly at him. She hadn't a clue who this 'Darts' character was, apart from it being the name a form of game, but he or she had obviously been important in Atlantis, and perhaps in the Atlantis Crisis ten years ago. "Are you okay, there?"

"Yes, yes," the skull dismissed. His voice was akin to a dying wind. "Simply put, I have lived as long as I have desired, achieved every goal I have set out for myself over the ages. Now, I wish to claim my eternal rest, but, to do that, I need a successor for the throne of the Netherworld. I have chosen you for that role."

"Why me?" asked Midori, suspicious. She knew for a fact that there were thousands of different demonic creatures down in Hell, if not in fact millions of them. Why would he bother to make his personal hitwoman, a school teacher, his successsor? The coal-haired teacher imagined that someone among Hell's nobility would jump at the chance to reign over all things infernal. "Whyever you wish for me to take over, while I'm flattered, I'm afraid I'll have to turn you down. I'm busy enough as a teacher."

The flames around the skull rapidly died down, into a quiet emerald outline. "I have chosen you, and you do not have a choice in the matter."

Midori's face formed a sharp frown. "Excuse me?"

"I am currently still the Netherworld's ruler," sneered the skull. "I need not explain myself to the hired help. Be merely thankful that I do not call you back into Hell to suffer and serve eternally, and further grant you ultimate authority. Tttt, some humans... we leave for your coronation immediately!"

She had not enough time to speak against it. A wave of ethereal flames, of topaz-and-ruby hues, erupted from the skull. Midori saw her surroundings change, faster than her eyes could follow. Now, the metagaming teacher found herself on a viewing platform of dull-grey concrete. A distance ahead of her, it ended abruptly, with no railing or slope that she could see. Beyond it, far off, she saw houses looking barely bigger than fingertips began to appear. Above the city, there was naught but cloudy blue sky, empty of demonic life.

"Come," called the King of the Netherworld to Midori, in a guttural voice that bore absolutely no resemblance how a human voice ought to sound. She turned around, and beheld not the burning skull she had expected.

Instead, there was a blob of night-black gunk there. It had only the shape of a winged dog or lion, something four-legged, in the most rudimentary sense. Its eyes glowed red.

If there was a place Midori hated to visit, it was Hell. Too many demons, too much gore and violence. She expected seeing a lot of those soon.

The archfiend-in-command raised a clawed hand, and pointed to the left. She followed where he pointed to. Not far away, there was an entrance, and a giant one at that. She leaned her head back to see how far up it went; she estimated it was a few hundred metres. "Well, that's certainly the second-biggest gate I've seen all year."

He did not answer her jibe, and began to slide over to the door. She pondered briefly, deciding to follow along: Being the queen of Hell wasn't a bad offer, all things considered, and certainly better than spending eternity in the Shadow Realm for failing to honor their pact.

Once they had entered, her gaze fell over the hall.

The room was vast, to fit its occupants, and the walls were a easy-on-the-eyes shade of orange. Leading directly up to the throne, which was carved from obsidian metal, was a literal red carpet. To the right, she observed the presence of two titans; a demon garbed in some manner of purple bone-armor and brandishing a blood-stained blade, a demon in lavender bone-armor who brandished a weapon equally akin to a bident and a sorcerer's staff. They both towered over her like she would over a mouse, and gazed disdainfully down at her. She remembered them somewhat as the Archfiend Emperor and Empress.

To the left side, she observed the presence of three others: A three-metre tall humanoid in a suit of primarily-black-but-occasionally-white armor who brandished a double-headed axe, who she remembered as Demise the Armageddon King, a strikingly handsome white-haired woman garbed in ornate red-and-black-and-white formal attire who carried another double-headed axe, who Midori remembered as Ruin the Oblivion Queen, and further, a gigantic creature both demon and dragon with four wings and more faces scattered over its body, who Midori did not particularly recognize. Like the others, they regarded her with open disdain.

Midori sauntered towards the throne where there was another creature - a half-naked man in leather - and the King standing on both sides. After sitting down in it and finding it surprisingly comfortable, she raised a hand in greeting and gave a uneasy smile. "Hi."

The convened devils (well, really only the Queen of Oblivion, actually) cast her an amused glance.

"Now, the first stage of the coronation will take place," bellowed the slime creature from the throne's right side. "Do you all acknowledge Lady Midori as the proper ruler of the Netherworld?"

The Yubel - The Ultimate Nightmare stepped forward. "I object, your majesty. This... _creature_ is nothing but a feeble human. It should rightfully be a demon who inherits your throne. _This_ is an outrage! She is not worthy of this honor!" Traker bellowed, his baritone voice echoing through the throneroom.

All eyes rested on the twelfth-level Fiend-type. The Archfiends exchanged looks, silently agreeing that he had the right idea.

"You are correct, Marquis Traker," conceded the slime creature. "However, my decision is final. Midori is the one who I have selected as my successor."

Traker's faces all scowled. Malicious decided now a good time to step in. "If nobody else wishes to speak against this, then we can declare the Rite of Recognition over. You may all take your leaves," announced the demon hero to the room.

Around the room, they all departed in their own ways. The Archfiend rulers became translucent, then faded entirely away from sight.

Around Demise and Ruin, magic circles formed on the ground which proceeded to rise up around them. Thin air was left in their wake.

Traker turned around and stormed off, then flew away once he was outside.

"Ehhrm, could one of you maybe bring me up to speed?" asked Midori. "I'm honestly a bit lost. What did we just go through?"

"Apparently, it's called the Rite of Recognition," explained Malicious. The King looked impatiently at him. "The Rite of Recognition is the first stage in the coronation of a Netherworld ruler. A handful of the nobles have to officially give their sanction of you, and I suppose only one of them complaining about it counts as that."

Midori nodded. "And how many more of these ceremonies are there?"

This question was answered by the King. "The Rite of Transition is all that remains before you can claim the power and the throne."

Turning to the wall behind the throne, the Netherworld King's eyes lit up. The three of them watched on as the wall silently slid apart to show them a staircase. The corridor was a narrow one and its steps were perfectly-squared tiles, Malicious observed idly on their stroll down, and it was illuminated by wall-mounted torches which burned about every color one might imagine.

It was only after almost fifteen minutes of walking that they reached their destination. Now, the three beings were inside a dome hall with slate-gray walls, rendered navigatable by electrical lighting from the lamp built into the very top of the room. The hall was empty, of almost everything save its occupants and a seemingly bottomless hole at its center. On either side of the pit, there were two circles outlined by various symbols.

Midori snuck a glance down, almost entranced by the nightmarish things she knew it was. Though the pit's depths were quiet, there seemed to be something moving about down in the darkness, almost like it was writhing in agony. Briefly, a handful of glowing orbs were revealed, before being engulfed by the shadows again. It dawned on her, almost immediately, that this was the Shadow Realm she was staring into. It had to be.

She preferred to not dwell on what its captives experienced. Death would likely be a kindness for them.

"If you are quite done examining the dark," the slimy monstrosity called, almost playfully, to her. She looked up to spot him standing inside one of the circles. "We have business to conduct."

Midori entered the empty circle, giving the King a curious look. Malicious gazed away, uninterested, then back at them, on account of there being nothing else to entertain him.

"I hereby declare you, Hibiki Midori of Japan, my successor and the new Queen of Hell, in accordance with the Rite of Transition," bellowed the reigning demon lord. "Do you accept this position in the grand order of the Netherworld?"

Midori quickly made up her mind: He was going through with it, so all the better if the next queen was someone who could be trusted to not invade earth on a whim. She hardly minded it came with perks. "I accept it."

A single sigh escaped the slime-creature, and then it seemed that whatever force was holding him together had released its grip. In barely a moment, he had become a puddle of goo on the floor, a bit of which trickled into the chasm in the floor. Midori had gasped in shock, and was staring almost bewildered at his remains. The ritual had worked, she realized, recalling what he had said about her claiming 'the power and the throne'.

She wasn't much inclined to dwell on the how of it, but this had to mean that the power of the Netherworld itself had kept him alive, a power he was now bereft of. Glancing down, she saw that the runes of the circle were glowing, pulsating, with night-black lights.

Motes of shadow were escaping from the runes. Then, without warning, the shadow-glow of the runes and that of the pit erupted. Before she could move, the shadows had enveloped her. Before she could utter any protests, the shadows had faded. In their wake was a strange, both warm and cold, vaguely ticklish sensation, spread across the whole of her body.

The teacher gazed at her hands - they were coated in pure darkness, and not a single spot of skin was left bare. It took barely seconds before they seemed to dissolve.

Her gaze fixed on her hands. Midori, curious, shaked her right hand a bit, then wagged her fingers up and down. She then moved her left hand up and down a few times, and turned it upside down. "Guess that takes care of that," she noted, pleased that her hands were still in working order. One could never be too careful when magic was involved.

Malicious studied her, very confused by those gestures, but figured to not ask. Humans were weird, he had long since learned. "One last thing, I believe," the purple-skinned demon spoke, and fished a deck-box out from the bag at his waist. "This is yours now," he said as he handed her it.

She accepted it without a remark, and opened it to find a deck. "It's the personal Deck of Hell's ruler-elect," supplied Malicious.

Midori began to shuffle through it; it surprised her little.

Most of its monsters were either demonic or were themed after Hell, like Bau the Black Dog Beast and Infernal Dragon. The strongest among this collection were The Great Leviathan and Zorc Necrophades, both sporting five-thousand attack and defense points.

She paused to frown in disgust at the latter, for it literally had a dragon where its penis should've been. She didn't envy the person, woman or man, human or otherwise, who experienced the oversized appendage.

Its ability was almost stranger than its appearance, being to change the powers of other cards. The Spells and Traps were either commonly themed after darkness or fire, some being both; included were a Crush Card Virus, a Deck Devastator Virus and an Eradicator Epidemic Virus.

As she already had one, she wasn't keen on using this one. Nonetheless, she supposed, it might come in handy.

"By the way," Midori said to him, "I don't think I got your name."

"I'm simply Evil HERO Malicious," the seven-starred demon answered jovially.

She sighed. "I don't suppose that I can ask you to take the throne in my place, perhaps in exchange for negating my previous contract with Hell? To tell the truth, I'm not interested in being a ruler."

The Evil Hero shrugged. "'fraid not. See, the Netherworld's laws concerning the royal family include a clause specifically for situations like this one. Any ruler-elect needs ta stick around for a thousand years before they can shuffle off, if they're alive to do it. If not for that, we'll be having renegade rulers every other devils-damn day. Got it?"

Midori gave a shrug. "What is the first order of business?"

"This one psychopath on the loose," disclosed the demonic hero. "This Kagemaru dude popped up a while ago, and been on a rampage ever since. Oh, by the way, you're a teacher at that dueling school, right? In the Dominion of the Humans?"

"Yes," replied Midori, lightly apprehensive. She shuffled the mention of the super-intendent's name away in her mind for future reference. "Why do you ask?"

Malicious smirked jovially. "This was this one human I fought a while back, in the Dominion of the Beasts, who had an Evil Hero deck. She had black hair, a kinda small rack, pretty lean, and wore an attire that had white and blue parts, and she was with a brown-haired girl who used a Spellcaster-oriented style. Does that ring a bell?"

"Yes," answered Midori pensively. If nothing else, supposed the teacher, this explained where Mindy had gotten a hold of extra-planar cards. "I know who you're talking about, but why the interest?"

"We use the same deck of Evil Heroes," he stated matter-of-factly. "That means, we are kin to one another. Is she doing alright?"

Midori decided against telling him that Obelisk Blue students weren't her purview. "She's doing great," assured the teacher, with a light smile.

* * *

The conversation was interrupted by a shadowy vortex taking form behind Crowler - whose sixth sense burned in the very back of his mind and skull, alerting him to it as much as his hearing directly did and his vision indirectly - squarely in Sheppard's vision field. The school principal regarded the event with brief surprise.

Vellian turned to the raven-haired woman, deadpanning, "Quite a surprise, Midori. I wasn't aware you had a habit of magic tricks like this one. Perhaps you could do me the favor of a thorough explanation?"

"Long story," sighed Midori. "Suffice to say, my brother needed a helping hand a while ago, and Hell was inclined to give him one."

It took Vellian a moment to work out what she meant - a faustian bargain - and then to notice the contradiction of her still having her soul. It took him another moment to work that it wasn't a contradiction at all. "I see. If it wasn't literally so fiendish, I might actually compliment it. What did it cost you?"

She quirked a bit, maybe a third, of an eyebrow. "Surprisingly little. I was employed to be Hell's hitwoman. Of course, I've just today gotten a promotion. I'm the new queen of Hell."

The doctor nodded, unsurprised to hear it, watching the dark-mist aura emanating from her. "Congratulations are in order, then. I assume that this promotion is the cause of your newfound power?"

Sheppard watched the two wielders of dark magic, stony-faced, inwardly exasperated as hell.

"Actually, yes," Midori folded her arms, affixing her colleague with a curious look. "If I may ask you a question, how precisely did you know that before I mentioned it? Some gift of the power you yourself wield, I presume."

Vellian responded with a curious look of his own. "Yes, indeed. A sort of expansion of my five senses into the magical domains. Perhaps you could give me an answer to that same question?"

Midori smiled. "My previous employer tasked me with locating the power that you and your group is in possession of, that Darkness of Justice stuff, back in december," she informed him, absently wondering why Crowler didn't already know that.

Vellian arched an eyebrow at the unfamiliar name, but deemed it not worth a comment. "Ah."

"Now that," intoned Sheppard, sternly, "both of the Duel Academy's resident major players in the magical world are aware of one another, we can perhaps focus on other matters. Call me paranoid, but are either of you aware of any rising threats to the student body?"

The two faculty members began to ponder that, Crowler idly inspecting the floor, neither moving very much.

Midori leveled her gaze at the bearded man, the first to speak. "Not as such, not directly, but there are a number of conquerors and demon lords around Hell who might decide to do their work on this plane."

The blond Ancient Gear wielder spoke almost as soon as she finished. "I'm afraid that I can't be of more help than Midori. I know of a small pantheon of demonic creatures sleeping and buried somewhere on the planet, but I can't at the moment think of a reason why they would pose a direct threat to the school over the rest of the world."

Sheppard gave a nod. None of it was something that he hadn't known already or suspected, but confirmation of those facts was helpful. "I see. Midori, Vellian, I think it is best if the students involved in the Abandoned Dorm debacle and the others doesn't learn anything of what's been discussed here, so I will ask you to disclose neither Midori's other job-position in Hell nor the fact that the headmasters of two dorms are in possession of magical powers."

Vellian frowned. "While I see your point, I don't agree with that course of action. Beyond the fact that Syrus, Chazz and the Rhodes siblings can see magic like I can, and thus _will_ guaranteedly notice it when they see Midori next, they deserve better than being kept unaware of these matters after what they've done for this school. As far as the student body as a whole, I do agree that it might be for the best that the magic and demons business be kept as classified information."

Midori looked briefly at the blond, then turned back to the bald man. A moment's silence, then she looked back to the lanky man. "I suppose that this settles this matter. Wouldn't you agree, Chancellor?"

Sheppard was silently pensive. "I suppose so," he said, finally, sounding not entirely comfortable. "I'll leave it up to you two to decide how and when to inform them of the news concerning Midori."

* * *

Across the school, four video-messages were transmitted via Academy PDA.

On the platform above the front entrance, Alexis and Jasmine were quietly sitting. Their respective Duel Disks and Decks were on the floor, dis-equipped from their owner and not paid much attention by either girl. For the two of them, today was an opportunity to relax without having to worry about the classes that the school mandated or the drama of the otherworldly. Thus, she missed that particular memo.

Out beyond the volcano, Syrus had been trying to find peace and quiet, and some solitude from those students who desired to challenge the school's best (whatever the reason) - emphasis on "had been", as at present, he was engaged in another such bout. His opponent was a young man of the Ra house, who had built his strategy around the Charmers along with the assorted forms of Curran and Pikeru as well as support cards for both mage-groups. Because of that, Drillroid and Steamroid were currently facing a foe beyond their means, a woman in immaculate-white robes and an attack power rank equal to that of the Dark Magician of Chaos despite her six-star rank who bore the name, 'White Master-Mage Pikeru'. Thus, he too missed out on that update.

As for Chazz, he was enjoying his day off from the mandatory classes in his own fashion - a stroll around the island, with the intent of clearing his head and doing thinking and soul-searching. For that purpose, the rural ocean-side was a bit of scenery that was quite productive. As his PDA was not on his person, that would likewise have to be a surprise for later.

Atticus was busy himself. With Seika and a handful of other Obelisk Blue students as company in the girl's dorm, he was serving as an audience to a duel. On the right side, there stood a sharp-faced and lean-figured young lady with the name, Andrea. Flanking her, a green-hided behemoth of a cyborg dinosaur. She stood with folded arms, smirking triumphantly at her opponent. Said opponent was Celia, a blonde with a preference for the air-element and a field cleared for the dinosaur to stampede through and a grimace on her face. Thus, he was no more in a position to get the message than his friends were.

* * *

**Well, after several months, I finally finished another chapter. Joy...**

**In today's created-card section, we've these.**

* * *

**Chthonian Marquis - Forneus | 5/DARK/Fiend/Effect | 290/290 | As long as this card is face-up on the field, all cards on the field are revealed.**

**Zork Necrophades | 12/DIVINE/Fiend/Effect | 5000/5000 | Cannot be Special Summoned. Must be Normal Summoned by tributing 4 monsters (cannot be set). During either player's turn, you can activate this effect (including in response to the activation of a card effect): Target 1 card your opponent controls; take control of it. If you do, you can rewrite its lore with up to five words either added or removed (the end result must be a valid card effect). This effect can only be used once per turn.**

**The Great Leviathan | 12/DIVINE/Divine-Beast/Effect | 5000/5000 | Cannot be Special Summoned. Must be Normal Summoned by tributing 4 monsters (cannot be set). During either player's turn, you can activate one of these effects:  
***** Treat the field as "The Seal of Orichalcos". Then, target a monster you control. It gains 500 ATK/DEF.  
***** Treat the field as "Orichalcos Deuteros". For every monster you control, you gain 500 Life Points.  
***** Treat the field as "Orichalcos Tritos". All cards you control become unaffected by your opponent's Spell/Trap Cards and effects until the End Phase.**

**White Master-Mage Pikeru | 6/LIGHT/Spellcaster/Effect | 2800/0 | Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned by tributing "Princess Pikeru". During your Standby Phase, gain 1600 Life Points for each monster on the field.**


	20. A Moment to Catch Your Breath In

The brunette cast a gaze out over the scenic landscape beyond the platform, a slight smile on her face. Her gaze trailed airily across the island landscape.

By the docks, Jas saw a crowd of people who were watching a game. The only monster that she could immediately glimpse was a Mobius, the Mega version. Who was facing who, Jasmine wasn't sure; it could be someone like Alexis, who ran with ice cards, or someone who used the Monarch series like Disa did, or even just somebody who used the card for its power.

The blonde who sat beside her followed her gaze, to the Duel by the docks. Jasmine's gaze wandered to elsewhere, departing the unfinished match, casually inspecting the forest-scape. To her mild disappointment, there wasn't a sign of the Tarzan guy anywhere, just restless trees and the empty path through the forest.

Then, she shifted her gaze to the ocean, cringing a bit at its brightness.

It was beautiful, nothing less than beautiful, mused the brunette, it was like a freakin' Da Vinci painting. The sea was shining with reflected sunlight, like it was made of jewels instead of water. The blueness of the sea was reflected by the blueness of the sky, and there were big splashes of white across them both.

It amazed her to know how big it all actually was. From just up here, it looked like it could fit in her hand, but in reality, the sea could contain a million of her. She felt a sigh form in her throat. "Alexis, do you ever just stop to think about how huge the world, the whole entire universe, is?"

The blonde affixed her with a curious look. "Not especially," she replied. After a moment's pensiveness, she added. "I honestly don't think I want to. That sounds like a pretty heavy thought to get lost in."

Jasmine leaned back, hmmming. "I know," she said, finally. To her own surprise, she released a chuckle. Alexis' curious look lingered.

"I just realized that this school is crazy," smiled the brunette, raising her wide-open hands, gesturing out at the forest. "I mean, if somebody had told me last year that I was gonna go to parallel dimensions and take on real-life Duel Monsters, and see just half of the stuff that's happened here," said the brunette, with a smile so bright it was audible, "I'll probably just have called them crazy and walked away."

A pang of unease surfaced in the blonde's mind, and she wondered if she should apologize. _"If it wasn't because of me, Jasmine wouldn't have had to deal with magic in her life, and neither would Mindy..." _she dismissed the thought, looking towards their dorm building. "Life in general is crazy," voiced the blonde.

Jasmine chuckled, then laid down on her back. The brunette lazily raised her hand, towards the infinite blue above her.

A year ago, life had just been about dueling and flirting with cute boys. When the three of them came to Duel Academy, then it was all about magic and science fiction stuff and a competition about what day could be the weirdest, and with a lotta dueling too.

A year ago, she hadn't expected to visit a parallel world, or to meet a magical green cloud, or to get to know that magic and vampires were actually real, or to know that Duel Monsters was not just a game, or to learn that the universe had eleven other dimensions, or that Hell was actually real, or to see one of her own cards come to life, or to be the damsel in distress who got taken hostage by a monkey.

A year ago, she had been a normal girl. Now, she wasn't sure that she was ever going to be normal again. She kinda hoped she wouldn't.

"Yeah," voiced the brunette, gaze and out-stretched not wavering from the sky. She laid, quietly, for a moment, sitting up when the brightness of the blue started to make her eyes ache. "But how cool _is_ this? I mean," said the brunette, "no matter how you slice it, we're the school's butt-kickers of everything magical. We're the people who handle the stuff nobody even exists is out and about. Geez, we really _are_ the freakin' Scooby Gang like Mindy says."

In the back of her mind, Jasmine heard a deadpan voice whisper, _"more you guys than me, though," _which she decided to ignore.

Alexis gave a pleased smile. "Guess we are, yeah."

Jasmine's face turned pensive, and her gaze focused on the interest.

"What?" wondered the blonde, a smidge nervous.

"I just thought of something," voiced the brunette. "That Horakhty lady's basically the Egyptian God cards fused, right?"

Alexis nodded in affirmation, and simultaneously, a voice that was full of surprise called out, "WHAT THE BALLS?", a voice that only the two spirit-aware teens heard. From Jasmine's deck, the transparent form of the Silent Magician LV4 appeared in the air between them.

"Okay, it was fun to just lean back and listen in," said the Duel Monster, to the surprised blonde and less surprised brunette, "but this has officially gone into Hell's kind of crazy. Somebody explain to me how you two know frigging-ass Horakhty the Creator God of Light? What, do you two have Reality Marbles too or something?"

Alexis looked to Jasmine. "Can you fill me in here?"

Jasmine shrugged. "I was kinda hoping you would, because all I know is that a ghost came out of my card," feeling in the mood for witty commentary, she added, "her name's Sora, by the way," and raised her hand in greeting to the spirit.

Sora decided that, considering everything she got from the human, getting her up to speed would be a fair trade.

"Well, I'm not sure of all the details," supplied Alexis, indifferently, "but I've seen this before. Some cards apparently have souls of their own, like we do, and I think they're from one of the Duel Monsters dimensions. A guy I knew a while back had a Winged Kuriboh card with a spirit in it."

Jasmine felt a twinge of dismay at that - just how much of her life was her bestie, her lifelong friend, keeping to herself? The brunette mentally bit that emotion back, and responded with a statement. "Thanks, Lex."

"Okay," borderline-shouted the translucent white-hair chick, "now explain how you know Horakhty, blondie-tits."

"The name's Alexis," corrected the blonde, peeved. Jasmine looked almost aghast at that term of address. "And, I don't really know Horakhty all that well. I only met her a few months ago, when she taught me and my friends about magic."

Sora gaped, quickly composing herself. "No damn freaking way. You're seriously telling me that She Who Walks Between Worlds, the Creator God of Light, a living legend among living legends, educated you of all people in spiritual science?" that tore it, decided the Silent Magician. If this lady didn't have an active Reality Marble and knew spells nobody had ever even seen, then she was a liar.

"Yeah," affirmed the Queen of Obelisk Blue. Sora stared incredulously, almost twitching.

"Why's this such a huge deal?" wondered Jasmine. _"Yeah, this Horakhty's supposed to be an actual god, but still."_

The spirit girl gave the brunette a lopsided grin. "Well, yannow, she's a god to the gods, so that's the start of it. Aaand, second, she's kinda famous in my world. She's probably the best of the best, of the _best_," Sora stressed the word, "when it comes to the field of inter-planar sorcery. If I could actually learn some of her tricks, I could go anywhere in the universe I damn well please, and not have to astral-project between the two Dominions anywhere."

When she finished, she looked with puppy-dog eyes at Alexis. "Please-please-please, say you'll introduce me to her! I'll do anything, I won't even ever correct you about that dimensions thing, just please introduce me!"

After a moment, Alexis replied, "Sorry," and added, "I don't really have her number, and I haven't seen her since the Abandoned Dorm stuff. Dunno where she is now, or even what dimension she's in."

Sora positively looked ready to swear up a storm. "Oh, just send me to Hell already."

Jasmine wondered what Hell looked like. "Well, before you go again, I kinda have a couple of questions for you, Sora, while we're filling each-other in about stuff and other stuff anyway."

Sora's face lightened up. "Sure thing, brownie, whatcha wanna know?"

Jasmine decided to ignore the name. "I hope this doesn't come out rude, but what exactly are you?"

A note of confusion showed on Sora's translucent face. "I'm a Silent Magician named Sora. I thought we'd established that one."

"No, I mean," the brunette paused, to consider her question. After a moment, she clarified, "I mean, how do you Duel Monsters work? Are you guys the spirits of the cards we use here on earth, or is that wrong?"

Sora ohhhed at that. "Well, it's kinda complicated, and gonna be totally honest here, I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to explain my," was it technically correct to say 'species', she paused to ponder, then resumed speaking, "I guess spirit-kind works, and I also guess that a good analogy would be that I'm a Silent Magician like you guys are Humans. I'm only eight, so y'know, not an expert with dialogues and crap."

Jasmine nodded at that. If she understood that right, then that meant that there were entire groups of every monster around, and that meant that she was probably right about there being other Dark Magicians in whatever dimension Sora was from. "So, if you're just one Silent Magician out of many, and you've lived in your world for years, how come you're showing up outta my card whenever you come here?"

Geez, deadpanned the Duel Monster mentally. "Now you're asking me to explain arcane theory, brownie. Basically, I was doing a modified-Endymion transplanar astral-projection ritual back home, and your card was the closest thing I could find around here to a good spiritual tether, because we're both Silent Magician Level Four. Upside is, I don't need to waste all my magic on maintaining it. Downside is, I have to waste mana going home again."

Jasmine looked to the blonde. "Alexis, you know more about this stuff than me. Does that sound right?"

Sora glared indignantly, turning away.

Alexis considered it, gazing briefly out over the forest. "It doesn't sound wrong, compared to what I know."

* * *

Beyond the volcano was where Syrus had run to in his bid for peace and quiet, and isolation from challengers - some of which were Obelisks indignant about the fact that their reigning champion, the most formidable gamer on campus, was just a Slifer boy, and some of which were those among his peers eager to prove or test themselves against him.

He had thought that he would be able to get a moment's rest there, that nobody would search there for him. Truesdale had been proven wrong, in that belief.

Another solid breeze swept over the area. The Duel between Syrus Truesdale of the Slifer Red house and Rin Tohsaka of the Obelisk Blue dorm was already in full swing. On the side of the vehicle-cards user, there was the cartoon drill-nose tank - which currently stood with six-thousand attack points - and two face-down cards to see. On the side of the four-elements Duelist, there were two creatures - Horus the Black Flame Dragon in its LV6 form and Ocean's Serpent in its LV3 form - and one face-down card to take note of.

"Draw!" declared the raven-haired teen. Briefly looking at the drawn card, which was the Desert Twister, she put it with the four other cards in her hand.

If she remembered right, her graveyard fulfilled the prerequisites for summoning Desert Twister. _"But maybe, saving it for later would be smarter," _considered Rin. She still had to figure a way around Jumbo Drill, and Desert Twister couldn't do that. So thinking, her gaze went to the other four cards in her hand - Doriado, Mystical Space Typhoon, Elemental Burst, Elemental Energy.

Her brain almost immediately worked out the conclusion to every play and tactic available: She was eight kinds of screwed. _"So my options are either give up now or go down fighting... well, there's no way I'm giving him the satisfaction!" _she leveled a glare at Syrus, who unwaveringly returned it. "I'm changing Horus to attack mode, and going straight for the kill!"

The dragon screeched with rage, and then spread its steely wings before charging at its fellow machine. Glaring in defiance, the war-machine's drill began spinning, and loudly so. What ensued was a giant cloud of smoke that soon died down again.

Before the Obelisk teen, the life meter was presented for all to see. Its reading was at a big fat stupid ugly zero, and the colorful graph was gone as well.

She cast her head back, sighing in open exasperation.

Walking over to her, the turquoise-haired Slifer held his hand out to her. "Well played, Miss Tohsaka."

Rin eyed him curiously for a moment, before shrugging and sighing, then accepting the handshake. Breaking off from the gesture, Syrus looked over at the blonde and ginger. "And, you guys probably want to go too?" as fun and intriguing as it was to get challengers from all around the school all the time, Syrus would honestly have liked a break.

"Of course," responded the Obelisk girl, mixedly stern and coy, raising her Disk-equipped arm. "That's why I'm here."

The Slifer simply smiled. "Nah, I'm not really at you guys' levels, so I'll sit this one out."

The Obelisk and the Slifer quickly made to draw their opening hands. Wordlessly, Arturia drew her sixth card. Her eyes wandered over her hand, and her eyebrows soon went arched in realization at what she had available. A fit of laughter broke out from her mouth. Syrus didn't like the sound of this.

"I activate first, the magic card called Reinforcement of the Army," Arturia slid the Spell into the disk. In the air before the blonde, a replica of the green-colored card was projected, its image and text visible to Syrus and the two spectators. She silently took her deck from its slot, and quickly located the Jack's Knight. Once it was in her hand, she deposited the Spell card into her Graveyard; the holographic double of it flashed, then faded away.

"Next, I activate Double Summon," another Spell was holographically materialized on the battlefield. "Thanks to this," exposited Miss Pendragon, "I can now summon both my Queen's Knight," she placed the female warrior onto her gear, who appeared onto the field from a flash of white light, "and my King's Knight," with an identical flash of light, the burly bearded man joined the woman. "Need I explain what this results in?" she voiced, sardonically, while taking her Deck again.

"Not really," responded Syrus.

The knight in silver-and-blue armor appeared on the field with the same visual effect, flanking the other two knights. As with them, the power level measurements were briefly presented for all and sundry. In his case, they were at eighteen-hundred and twelve-hundred points, respectively.

A bright grin broke out on his face. "Cool," he knew what was coming. His only question was, which one of them was it gonna be?

Arturia looked at the two Spells in her hand, internally debating whether to use Polymerization or Royal Straight. After a moment, she announced, "I activate the Polymerization card, merging the King's and Queen's Knights with the Jack's Knight in my hand," a massive violet vortex opened behind her, and drew the three holo-knights in.

Out from it stepped a different knight, recognizably human, who stood plated in golden, silvery and ebon armaments. His weapon was a bloody large sword. Upon the power-meter, the number 3800 was written as the reading for the knight.

* * *

The Obelisk Blue looked upon the office - gawking at the sight of Pegasus by the desk - as she entered. With the game designer were two other men; she recognized neither one of them, but thought them both total hotties. The chancellor was behind his desk.

She observed that all four of them were looking straight at her. The four men were serious as all get-out. She raised her hand, awkwardly scratching her neck. "How much trouble am I in?"

Maximillion gave her a vaguely amused look. "Not all that much, so you needn't worry about expulsion or anything of the sort," he informed the teen. "We've simply come to ask you a few questions, that's all. In fact, I'll like to present the first one right now," his eyes turned hard and cold.

"Where did you obtain the Evil Hero deck?"

Sheppard looked at the man, an uncertain mood in his eyes. _"That's strange. Mister Pegasus already knows, so why would he ask?" _the principal decided that the game-designer was scheming something.

Mindy gulped. What could she say, the coal-haired teenager fretted mentally, her expression turning pensive. _"They'll probably think I'm crazy or lying if I told them about the parallel world stuff. Crap... crap crap, crappy crap, crap me."_

The silver-haired thirty-something studied her intently, an unreadable smirk on his face.

"Um, well," mumbled the girl. A moment after, she gave a shrug. "It's kind-of a weird story, and you wouldn't probably believe me," she paused, and sighed. "I went to another dimension and met a magic green cloud," she disclosed, sounding a smidge embarrassed about it.

If he hadn't himself attempted to pool science and sorcery in his foolish bid to resurrect Pegasus or paid visits to the Duel monsters worlds, Yako thought, then he wouldn't have believed a word of that.

Pegasus smiled. "Honesty is always a virtue, so thank you for telling us the truth, Miss Mindy," she exhaled in relief. "Now, the reason I've come to visit your school is your Evil Hero cards. Over at Industrial Illusions, we're still working on developing that series, so imagine my surprise," his voice grew coy, "when I was alerted that somebody at Duel Academy was using cards we had yet to officially release."

Shock flashed over Mindy, face and stance. "You're, you mean they're not real legit cards?!"

"Not quite yet, I'm afraid," replied Pegasus, apologetically, "and that's another of the reasons I decided to come. Call me lazy if you so wish, but I'll like to inspect your deck to help finalize the designs," he held his hand out to her.

After a moment's hesitation, the teen reached back around her with her right hand, and took the deck-box off from its position off her skirt's waist. Giving it a frowny look, she handed the box of cards to the game's creator, who opened it unceremoniously, and put the stack and its box down on Sheppard's desk. With an easy gesture, he took the top card off, and put it into a second stack next to the first, a process he repeated for the second (Anteatereatingant) and third (the Monster Reborn card) card from the top. Yako and Gekko likewise took a peek at the cards.

It was, both brothers observed, an eclectic mix of a deck, founded on the Elemental Hero series. Gekko noted that, between its support cards for fusion summons, the magic cards to draw out the heroes, and the destruction effects, it was built heavily for offensive power and speed. _"How fitting_," considered the perfected Duelist, in light of the dormitory she was supposedly living in. He wondered, though, if it boasted a defensive prowess to match that.

Pegasus arched an eyebrow at the spell card, picking Dark Fusion up. "A fusion-summoning card that safeguards a monster from destruction effects, I see."

The gears of his brain began turning.

It wasn't a great new advance for the game - he remembered having designed a few like it for other series, and Frantz had been overjoyed to see that Vehicroid card go into production. Even so, he was not certain about this one. In the worst course of events, the Evil Heroes would overshadow many cards from the other Hero series - and other series as well - with their brute power. He would rather not have anything else in his game go the way of the Black Skull Dragon or the rest of the cards from before the standardization of the Super Expert rules.

"Yes," whispered Pegasus, "yes, this, I can work with," perhaps focusing on the more combination-oriented aspects of the Elemental Hero series would serve suitably to differentiate the two Hero groups from one another, and allow them to co-exist.

Then, one of the cards caught his attention. His hand reached for the fusion monster. "Supreme Inferno Wing?" Pegasus decided immediately that he didn't care for the card's design - though its image was nice. Even factoring in its strict summoning requirement, the demon had too many abilities, and the primary three were together too powerful for anything to compete with - not even that new version of Black Skull Dragon was so powerful.

Regardless of his reservations, the card was as much of a hidden memorial to the Pharaoh as Shining Flare Wingman and Shining Phoenix Enforcer were. Pegasus neither could nor would change that.

Quietly, he moved to gather all the cards back into a single pile.


	21. First Second Meetings

In the ten days since the meeting between Mindy, the Tenma brothers, and Pegasus, life at Duel Academy had settled back into something that vaguely resembled mundanity.

For Syrus, the days had been just the same alternating rhythm of attending his classes and crossing swords with the occasional student who wanted to take on the best of the best that the school had to offer. As of late, he had experienced a bit of a petering-out when it came to their number, which he was happy with.

For Alexis, the high note of the near-two-weeks was her series of duels against Chazz on the twenty-third day of that february.

On the arcane front, there were more news to be processed than there was actual activity around the island. Most major was the update that Midori had been promoted to Hell's ruler, a revelation that for Mindy was mixedly exciting and boring; though she'd have liked to slam-dance with the legions of hell sometime, she suspected that this meant it wasn't gonna happen anytime soon. For most of the others, the revelation was calmly accepted as merely another day's curveballs. Sora, though, had... well, to put it nicely, flipped her feces over hearing that a human was supposedly the new ruler of Hell, and soon came to the conclusion that they were lying their asses off.

The tidbit of information that was that Jasmine had acquired a card with a Duel Monster Spirit in it didn't really get the lion's share attention, though - partly because it wasn't a world-shaking revelation, partly because it was not quite the strangest they had yet heard, partly because Chazz didn't feel like giving Sora or Jasmine the satisfaction of having rattled him.

For Mindy, the evening of that day had been one spent on griping and discussing the particulars of Master Pegasus' info to Lex and Jas, then her making a resolution and going off to trade with Chazz - her Metallizing Parasites for his Emissaries of Darkness cards - and then, spending the late-night hours on revising her deck's lineup. She didn't get any sleep that night, though.

Come the here and now, there was seemingly a cosplay festival-slash-tournament at Central Duel Academy, for whatever bizarre-ass reason. Asgardian gods only knew why.

Outside the Slifer Red dormitory building, a cyan-haired and bespectacled teenage boy - dressed in the costume of a Slifer Red student - was walking. Nobody accompanied him at the mo, not a material person, and not spiritual person either.

A distance away, past the stairs of the dorm and out on the adjacent cliff, Syrus saw her stand. His walk over to his recent opponent was brief and uneventful. "Hey," greeted the bright-haired teen, bashfully.

The astral entity turned her head his way, wordlessly shooting him a greeting grin. That expression buggered right off, replaced with surprise, when it dawned on her that he had spoken to her.

"That's weird," she thought aloud.

_"Play it cool, Syrus," _he advised himself. "What is?"

_"Oh, Holy Beasts devour me, that sounded rude, didn't it?"_ fretted the Spellcaster-type, consciously keeping her smile going. "Well, I wasn't really expecting that people around here could see me in spirit form, not that, well, I'm an expert when it comes to humans."

Syrus hadn't expected that she would say that, either. "So you really are a Dark Magician Girl," he voiced. _"Way to go with playing it cool, Syrus," _he chided himself mentally.

"Yuh-huh," she affirmed, matter-of-factly, the smile relaxing detectably. "Alaya's the name of yours truly, by the way. Nice to officially meet you, Syrus."

"Nice to meet you too, Alaya," he wondered if he should offer her a handshake. Then, the idea of asking why she had paid the Academy a visit occurred to him.

Alaya looked like a sigh was brewing in her throat. "As much fun as it's been to hang out here and Duel with you, I kinda have to go," it really was a shame, thought Alaya - somebody with Dueling skill like him was definitely a good candidate for a lover.

"Oh," murmured Syrus, a smidge disappointed to hear that.

"I think that came out wrong," bemoaned the blonde, lightly. "It isn't really that I hate this plane, but," she paused for a moment, "well, it's kinda complicated."

The Truesdale's face turned somewhat stern. "Actually, I think I'm up to speed," he replied. Alaya's face scrunched over with confusion. "Correct me if I've got any of the details wrong, but you're using some kinda spell or ritual or something to be in our world, and now you're running out of magical energy to keep it going."

Alaya stared, her face quickly shifting from befuddlement to a coy grin. "Are you actually a mage or just guesstimating here?"

Syrus gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Both, I guess," he scratched his head's backside. "All I really know is the basics, which I kinda guess is obvious..."

"I kinda figured," replied the six-star spirit, sounding amused, "from the part where you talked all vague," the brightness of her face dimmed just then, "but yeah, the mana's definitely the bigger problem," Syrus noted that word, "that, and I have school tomorrow. If I had enough, I could probably astral-project between the two planes all I wanted," liar, called a voice in her head, "and-" she paused, lips moving in a bashful pout.

"Something wrong?" queried Syrus.

"I just noticed something," she disclosed to him. "How come we're chatting like a pair of old friends?"

Syrus made to answer, then paused, then pensiveness washed over his features. He scratched his temple's left side, an iota of uncertainty in his body language.

"I... actually, that is weird," admitted the Slifer Red. He hadn't really thought about that. Hanging out and talking to her just felt... he didn't really know how to best describe it, but he felt comfortable around her, like he could tell her anything.

He decided to change the subject.

"But, if you just need more mana, you can use mine, if that's possible," he figured it was; by all logic, inter-dimensional teleportation should be more difficult than just sharing this energy. "If you want to stay around, I mean."

Alaya looked mixedly amused and knowingly weary.

"Thanks for the offer," free mana was never something to turn down, "but it's not that simple, either. Nothing personal, but I don't really think you have enough mana to field the costs for that," a curious look formed on his face. She decided to elaborate.

"The ritual I'm using is called a Third-Generation Classical Horakhty-Method Planeswalking, and the relevant stuff's that it takes about three-hundred mana units to keep it going just for six hours," she disclosed. "Equivalent Exchange, and all that. Not to sell you short or anything, but do you have that kinda much?"

Truth be told, he didn't really know; that magic even could be measured like that was news to him.

"Maybe," he answered, after a pause. "How much mana does it take to open a portal between our dimensions?"

_"Geez_," fretted the blonde in her head, _"how did this turn into me giving a spiritual-science lecture?" _"That's kinda above my pay-grade, probably Reality Marble stuff or something, so about four-thousand units to keep it working. I'll have to ask an expert. Where're you going with it?"

"Well, I've done that before," disclosed the Slifer, a smidge hesitantly. Surprise flashed onto her face. "Not to sound full of myself or anything, but I think I can do the upkeep for that spell. If you want me to," he hastened to add, "I mean."

The smile on her face turned a tinge uneasy, almost so little that Syrus missed it. He wondered if he had said something wrong.

Either he was just a really nice guy, or he had an agenda. Alaya preferred to think the first, and it seemed like him, as far as she knew.

The blonde extended her hand to him, fingers stretched. Syrus stared uncertainly and a bit flushy-faced at her.

"It's for the mana-sharing pact," she explained, affecting her best teacher's tone. "Once I cast the spell, and we both agree, we'll be sharing all our mana."

The situation reminded Syrus uncomfortably of a marriage proposal, even as weird and magical as it was. He told himself that that wasn't what it was - he and the others were already doing this magic-sharing thing, and (he hoped) that wasn't a group-marriage. As wonderful people as Atticus and Doctor Crowler were, he would rather not be married to them.

Silently, he raised his hand to meet her fingertips.

"Let now the gates between our soul-rooms be opened," murmured the witch, "and our spiritual power be freely shared.

Syrus surmised he was supposed to repeat that. "Let now the gates between our soul-rooms be opened, and our spiritual power be freely shared."

Their hands began to shine darkly, and both felt a warmth course through their own hand. Steadily, the umbral radiance grew in intensity. Thin dark lines that both zig-zagged and intersected at certain points grew down from their fingertips, onto the back of their hands where they touched on the symbol forming there - a rectangle, surrounded by a hexagram.

The bluenet inspected the sigil, and the fading of it, with a hint of surprise etched on his face. The blonde watched, silently and smilingly. Alaya didn't really think that it was going to be a big help, but free mana was always good.

Their arms dropped to their sides again. Alaya took a look at the ocean, openly pleased with the sky's colors. She couldn't remember any time in her life where she'd gotten to see an ocean-side sunset. _"All in all, today's wonderful."_

A simple silence settled over them. Syrus looked away from her, unsure of what to say next. He hoped he'd made a good impression so far.

Alaya's next statement broke in his thoughts. "Syrus, I want you to be my lover."

As soon as he translated that last bit into words he knew better, his brain almost short-circuited trying to process that, and his face reddened. Slowly, his head moved back towards the spiritual girl, incredulous eyes meeting hers. On her face, a pensive half-frown formed.

It took a minute, or thereabouts, for the cyan-haired human to compose himself enough that he could string a sentence together, and it ran as follows - "I'll be honored, but, well... why, exactly?"

The smile grew back into her eyes. "Well, it's basically because I've wanted to be in one of those couples where I can count on someone to cover my back in a fight or a Duel," she explained. "You fit the bill, and it helps that you seem like a really nice human too."

She paused, for a moment, before continuing, with a clear note of anxiousness in her voice. "Interested?"

He wasn't really sure; on the one hand, he wasn't comfortable with the idea that maybe he hadn't, at heart, gotten past his kid self's card crush on the Dark Magician Girl. _"On the other hand, this isn't the card, Alaya's a real person."_

He opened his mouth to speak.

* * *

At about the same time as Syrus and Alaya were chatting away by the Slifer building, Mindy - in the guise of a Harpie Lady - and a Ra Yellow student (who had chosen a Ra Yellow student at Duel Academy for his costume) named Rohan were wandering across the beach.

"Yes," he stopped, apparently speaking to the air and/or himself, breaking their silence, "here'll do," he then turned to her, raising his Duel Disk.

Mindy the Harpie Lady grinned. "No idea who you are, but I'm always up for it," with that, she activated her own disk.

"DUEL," called both students. The polished-golden panels popped into view on both sides of the field, with the number four-thousand and a colorful bar in either one of them, as they moved to draw their opening hands.

_"Crap,"_ was the length and breadth of Mindy's assessment of her hand.

"Go on," called Rohan, his tone jovial; by the looks of it, he suspected that she had a bum hand, "draw your sixth card, and let's get this started,"

Silently, Mindy drew the card. On the monster card's picture was depicted a blue-skinned, neck-lacking, yellow-armored demon. Her face broke into another smirk at the sight. "I place a monster face-down, in defense mode," she declared.

A brief-lived flash of gold light ushered the brown-colored card onto reality, in the gap between the two of them. Rohan studied it quizzically. _"And here I thought she was about those Evil Hero things. A new Elemental Hero of hers, or something else?"_

"Next, I'll place two more cards face-down," behind the concealed monster, two more cards appeared. They were mainly distinct from the monster-card, because of their vertical placing on the battlefield. "That's all."

Almost as an after-thought, the brunet drew, then he inspected his hand. A smile graced his face, his brain formulating tactics busily. "Do you know why I picked you for this little match?"

"Nope," responded Mindy, "but I've got a hunch you're gonna get me up to speed on that."

"It's all because of the deck you're using," he disclosed to her, pointing at her Duel Disk. "It's filled with demons, straight from Hell, while I," he grinned, now pointing his thumb at himself, "have plenty of angels and gods to bring to this little showdown, so, let's see who's gonna win this, Hell or Heaven!"

A sheepish smile formed on her face, and in her mind, the question of whether he really had to be dramatic. _"Come to think of it, I could really use a sandwich right now."_

"To start things off," Rohan held a card out to her, "the ability of Hecatrice is that I can take one particular card out of my Deck," he picked it up, and with adroit fingers, managed to simultaneously hold his hand of cards in his left hand and his deck of cards in the other one. Then, the Ra put the larger stack back in its slot, now one card lighter. With a grin on his face, he slid the card into his Duel Disk.

Beneath the angelic and the demonic Duelists, the ground began to rumble audibly. With no other warning, a mass of marble rose up from the beach sand, and soon surrounded them. Behind Rohan was an empty throne, and then a silky red curtain. Flanking him on both were the pillars, sleek and shiny like pure silver, that were adorned with flower-sprouting vines.

Rohan looked around the hall, admiring the sight, before looking back over to Mindy. "I trust that I don't need to explain what this means?"

"Actually, I've never gone up against this kinda thing before," she responded, "so, yeah, would appreciate getting caught up."

He gave a wry smile. "What this means is that I can summon any angel I want, free of charge, from my hand," he moved to take a card out from his hand, and held it for her to see, "so let's give a warm Duel Academy welcome to Tethys, Goddess of Light," with that, he placed the card onto the disk.

From the opening in the ceiling shone now a golden light, so bright that Mindy had to cover her eyes. The radiance illuminated a single spot upon Rohan's field, and there, a few globules of the sanctified light began to shape themselves into a humanoid white-glowing silhouette.

As the light from above died down, so did the light around the angel, and color appeared on the hologram.

Before Rohan stood now a human woman, her card in the air between them, who well deserved to be called angelic - for she met practically every check-point of that motif. Her garments were pristine, a silvery-white hue like her long hair, and sporadically decorated with bits of gold. At her back, white-feathered wings floated, separate from her body, almost as long as she was tall and positioned in defense of her. Upon the dual-sided panel that then appeared, the number 2400 was presented to them.

Mindy's attention was on the card form of the angel, the effect box section, though. She gave a hmm, then darting her eyes up to meet his face. "That all, dude?"

"No," he smirked almost alarmingly, "because I just need one last thing. Look around," she looked uncertainly at him; his smirk didn't waver an iota, "we're in the hall of the norse gods, but there's not even one of them around, so let's fix it," he declared, "I summon Frey, Spirit of Victory, in defense mode!"

First, the card appeared beside the angel, and the card's image, name and effect text were visible to Mindy. The ground beneath it glowed with the same golden-white light, and the norse god himself appeared - a human with violet-tinged grey hair, garbed in a varyingly black-and-blue suit that covered everything of his body from neck to pelvis, but left his arms and legs bared. Rings of orange light were around his wrists and ankles, and a pair of fuzzy red pom-poms in his hands.

The one-star's power meter appeared once the summoning brouhaha was over, with a reading of just one-hundred attack points. The attack-meter for the angel appeared again and rose by four-hundred points, accompanied by a cheering routine from the god.

"Let's get this cooking," grinned Rohan, and pointed to her face-down monster. "Tethys attacks now! ANGELIC RADIANCE!"

The angel raised a hand, a ball of white flickered to life and crackled with electricity. Mindy shouted the activation of her face-down card, Negate Attack. A blunt scraping noise sounded when the divine-energy orb was sent against the concealed demon.

_"Shit," _cursed the Ra. "I end my turn, now."

Mindy moved to draw. The card, she saw, was Stairway to The Underworld, and it was placed in her hand.

"So, I'm curious," she called to Rohan, a grin on her face. "According to your little metaphor, we represent Hell and Heaven. What's that make us, the Devil and God?" she was pretty sure that they were a part of Christianity.

"Nah," he answered, eventually. "It woulda been tons of fun to say something all blasphemic, though."

"Well, either way, I'm gonna mess this up for ya, angel boy" replied Mindy. With a quick gesture, she flipped her card around and then put it back on. "I switch Slate Warrior to attack position," as she spoke, the demon materialized on the field. Well, this one might be called colorful, for its skin was blue, its armament were yellow and blue, and its garments were red and green. The power measuring panel appeared, with a reading of 1900 that then rose to 2400, before it went away.

Rohan smirked. "Just as I expected, a simple but effective combo, but we both know that's not enough, so what else you got?"

Mindy responded by holding a Spell card out to him. "Activate Horns of the Archfiend, to raise Slate Warrior's attack strength even further," almost as soon as she slid it into her disk, a noise like cracking bone sounded in the area. After a moment, the top of the demon's head began to crack apart, like a piece of rock, as a pair of horns made of pale-white bone came out. The power meter appeared once again, rising to 3000 this time.

Rohan frowned.

Slate Warrior charged forth as soon as the command was given. Tethys fired a ball of holy energy at the demon, who halted in its tracks, but only momentarily. The demon swung its staff, unleashing a burst of dark energy and electricity down upon the angel. With a deafening boom, Tethys was defeated, the event marked by Rohan's life-points dropping by two-hundred and by him putting the card into his graveyard.

"And as an added bonus," announced Mindy, with a grin on her face, "the equip spell gives me another card fresh from my deck whenever Slate Warrior wins a fight," she drew, inspected the one-star demon's card briefly, and wordlessly added it to her hand. "Next down, a face-down card," she slid the Trap-Spell into her disk. "My turn's done."

Rohan conducted his next drew, grinning widely at his drawn card. After putting it in his hand, he spoke, "What say we continue the norse mythology lesson?"

Mindy shrugged, not all that interested.

"Great," said Rohan, taking a card and holding it up with two fingers. "See, in the myths, Frey has a sister named Freya, so guess who's coming to join this party?"

He placed the card on the disk. The monster that appeared on the field was, in appearance and in attire, much like the one that was already present. She made a cheerleadery gesture toward her summoner, to mark her arrival. Before the norse-pantheon siblings, their respective panels of power measurement were rendered. The sister's attack power rose from one-hundred to nine-hundred, the brother's from five-hundred to the same value.

"Okay, they power each-other up," commented Mindy, unimpressed, "but if you think I'm gonna be spooked by nine-hundred points, you must not know who I am."

"Oh, I've heard of you," refuted Rohan. "You're Mindy Hamaguchi, and your dueling tactics are all about using your Evil Heroes for an unparalleled amount of brute force, which is why I've come prepared. Care to remember, or read, just in case you don't know, what the abilities of my two gods are?"

Mindy's face scrunched over with confusion. _"If I remember right, they both raise the attack points of other Fairies and also-" _her confusion morphed into surprise. "So that's what you're going for."

"Yeah," he smirked. "Correct me if my observations are wrong, but you only have two cards in your arsenal that can really do anything about my lock," he stated. "Lightning Golem and Spellbinding Illusion. Well, if you still got 'em, I guess. Hard to tell what you've got with all those new tricks up your sleeve," Mindy looked uncertainly at her left arm. Rohan scratched his cheek bashfully. "I meant metaphorically."

She half-wanted to tell him she had just been joking. "Okay, we've got it established you have a good combo going, but what're you actually gonna summon and beat Slate Warrior with?"

He responded by sliding a card into his Disk. The image of Monster Reborn appeared over the sibling deities. An ankh manifested, and shone upon all that surrounded it. He announced the return of his fallen angel. As soon as Tethys was restored fully, the gifts of the two norse gods were imparted upon her, raising the angel's attack power to 3200.

"Let's try this again," announced the Ra. "Tethys, Goddess of Light, attack with Angelic Radiance!"

The angel raised her hand once more, and the sphere of divine light and electricity appeared. It surged towards Slate Warrior, and made impact squarely in the demon's mid-section. An explosion followed that event. The ebony-haired teen's points dropped by two-hundred.

She moved to remove the monster and the equip card from her card zones. To Rohan's surprise, the attack power of the angel dropped just then, by five-hundred points.

Mentally shaking it off, he verbally commanded Frey to attack directly as well. Striking a pose, the asgardian swung his arms and pom-poms at Mindy. A cold wind swept over her, and her life points dropped to 2900. She hurried to click the activation button.

"I activate my face-down card, Stairway to the Underworld!" announced Mindy.

Mixed surprise and recognition flashed on Rohan's face. _"Isn't that Princeton's card? How did she get a hold of one? Meh, not a hard question, she probably traded for it."_

The card sprang up; its front was mixedly the green of the Spells and the violet coloration of Trap cards, and its image was of a spiral staircase that led into the ground and the guard stationed atop it. From the guard, trails of borderline-coherent shadow emerged while Mindy shuffled through her deck for the two seven-star monsters. Then, they began to take on solid form, and ones more familiar to both Duelists.

On the right side of Mindy, there stood now a human woman taller than her, garbed in armaments reminiscent of a ballgown, carrying a silvery sword in her hand. Before her, there was a panel that read 2500.

On the left side of Mindy, there stood now a human man, as tall and as lean-figured as his companion, garbed in deeply-dark blue leather outfitted with silvery platings and a pair of blades attached to wrists. Before him, the panel presented the number 2700.

"Isn't that kinda a downgrade?" commented Rohan, a coy smirk on his face now. "Both of them have less attack power than your Warrior did, and they still can't attack my monsters, so what's-" he paused immediately, as a thought occurred to him. "What, did you just summon them to slim your Deck down? What're you hoping to draw?"

"Maybe I did," Mindy shrugged, grin wide. "Maybe I didn't. Either way, I think it's my turn now."

Rohan blew at a lock of his hair. "I guess. End turn."

Mindy cast an uncertain look at her deck. Then, she moved her hand, drawing with only a scant pause in the motion. She looked, befuddled, at the seven-armed demon in the image."Wow, I can actually pull this off," she said, with almost a triumphant laugh.

Rohan decided he didn't like the sound of that one.

"I summon Seven-Armed Fiend, in attack mode," she announced. Upon the field, a humanoid demon with grey-black oily skin, three arms on either side, a long neck, and a head with fingers sticking out of it appeared. The power panel appeared, this time with a reading of six-hundred-and-sixty-six. "Next, I'm sacrificing my Seven-Armed demon and the Emissaries of Darkness to Evolution Summon this thing," as soon as she declared so, all three monsters dissolved into umbral energy.

The three monsters began taking new shape, drawing hexagrams in three layers before Mindy. The middle one remained motionless, the first one moved sluggishly towards the left, the third spun rapidly towards the right. Between all three arcane circles, lightning arced and raced, and noises neither one of them had ever before heard in their life filled the air of the beach.

Then, a terrible jubilant screech cried out, as a single hand that came from nowhere grabbed hold of the hexagram in the middle, and seemed to hold on for dear life. Then, another taloned hand appeared and held onto the third hexagram.

The air around it seemed to blur, almost appearing in pain somehow to Mindy's eyes (and she was pretty sure that was impossible), as the monster finally appeared - identical in every regard, Rohan observed, to the level-one demon who had been sacrificed to call it down.

Before Mindy's new demon, the power meter appeared with another measurement of six-hundred-and-sixty-six.

"Okay, a few things," Rohan folded his arms. "One, I've heard of demon summoning, but come on! Two, 'Evolution Summon' is not a thing in Duel Monsters, no matter what Hikibi likes calling it when he summons Poison Rose. Three, three sacrifices for a monster with less than a thousand attack points? This one has sure as actual Hell gotta be good."

"Oh, it is," smirked Mindy. "You see, the Lord of the Ars Goetia has seven abilities," _"Wonder what 'Ars Goetia' means? It's probably just some demon thing."_

"Gee," mock-wondered the Ra, "why would a demon have seven different special abilities, how does that make sense?"

Mindy looked sheepish. "Anyway, I'm going to activate the first of its abilities. That lets me draw two cards," she drew. What she got were a spell card, Flames of the Archfiend, and her second Sparkman._ "Not, good. Not good, not good, not good, not good," _she fretted internally.

She looked over her hand again - Sparkman, Dark Calling, Flames of the Archfiend, Sparkman. There was only one possible move for her to make.

"Now, I activate the third ability of my Seven-Armed Archfiend," on both sides, a plume of lava erupted spontaneously. They lingered for a bit, and when both died down, a burly beast with deep-red eyes and a coal-black hide stood upon the beach. For both of the Evil Tokens, the the number 2500 was presented on the panels.

_"First Pot of Greed's effect, now Pot of Pride's," _noted Rohan, studying her copy of the monster. _"It really does go the whole nine yards with the hell-symbolism."_

"Next, I'll activate the Spell, Flames of the Archfiend," declared the Obelisk. "Both players and any monsters that aren't demons lose one-thousand points!"

A sinister glee shone on the many-armed demon's face. Before its gaping maw, a ball of flame ignited, and was shot towards the opposing forces. It grew quickly into a torrential flood of hellfire that washed over both the creatures and their summoners.

Once it died down, the meters for life points and battle-strength appeared before all but two of the combatants. For Tethys, the attack points went down to 1700, while both of the norse gods were left with no attack points. Mindy was left with nineteen-hundred points, while Rohan was down to 2800.

Then, the Blue declared the activation of her face-down card, with almost-a-shout and a pointed finger at it. Around Freya, the arcane circle appeared, and the angel's attack-strength lost the bit the goddess conferred. Both of Mindy's demons went to battle - the Evil Token trampled the angel down, the other seven-star demon devoured the goddess - and Rohan's Life Points fell to nine-hundred-and-thirty-four.

Rohan shot her a grin, while both players moved their destroyed cards from the card zones into their respective graveyard.

"Great job, you almost had me," complimented the Ra. "I think we both know, though, that I've got this in the bag."

Mindy frowned. "Oh yeah? Explain that, genius."

"How quickly we forget," said Rohan, pointing to her Duel Disk. "As I said before, Spellbinding Illusion was the only one of your cards other than Lightning Golem that can break my attack-lock, and that trap's gone now, which means," his grin turned predatory, "I can just summon my other Freya, and take my time to wipe you out."

Mindy glared indignantly. "Oh yeah? Then just try it. I end my turn."

Rohan drew. He looked, befuddled, at the card he'd drawn, before laughing. "I activate the card I've just drawn, the Spell that's called Vitamancy," he slid it in, and the holographic version appeared on the field - a card whose image depicted a sunlit cemetery where a sorcerer stood, hands alight with spiritual power, and zombies were rising from the ground. He paused, to let her read the card.

Mindy's eyes studied the text box. _"__Send up to four monsters you control to the Graveyard. All monsters your opponent controls loses 600 ATK for each until the End Phase," _she frowned, displeased. "Great, so it's Necromancy but backwards."

"That's right," affirmed the Ra, "so by sacrificing the demon you gave me," as he declared this, the holo-projection of the fiend become ethereal, and then vanished altogether, "well, you know," the demon reappeared, still spectral, around its twin and conjurer. Then, their individual power panel reappeared, and dropped to sixty-six and nineteen-hundred. "I'll follow that one, with this! I summon Seraphimon Blaster, in attack mode."

The monster that appeared very much matched the twenty-first century's common perception of an angel - the ambiguously-gendered figure stood with a human form, covered from neck to toe in white and gold garbs, and white-feathered wings grew from the angel's back. The only weapon that the angel carried was a bloody over-sized pistol, and the winged being's attack power was presented first to be 1800 before it rose by seven-hundred points.

It was with a single focused shot that the angel felled the demon lady, and wiped out the remainder of the Obelisk's Life Points.


End file.
